


The Maze on Tiger’s Stripes

by WhiteHiganbana



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 11:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteHiganbana/pseuds/WhiteHiganbana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meiro, the forest that no one dared to venture in because of its notorious claims of animal attacks. Kuroko just happened to think that it was a perfect place for taking pictures for his exhibition. He just didn’t know that someone was watching him all the time he was there. WereTiger!Kagami and Photographer!Kuroko</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1: The Red Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> T/N: Thanks to [shinimegami](http://tmblr.co/mlbmkBR1bJ6YdIEb3bdlQYw) who gave me the idea about this AU, I managed to make it happen. It was based on the myth about WereTiger or “Sa Ming Tiger” of my country. It is believed that tigers are the guardian of the forest. Some said that Sa Ming tigers are born from black magic and witch craft. Some said that tigers that ate too many human would merge with those human souls and eventually gain human shape. They would trick hunters into the forest to eat them or tricked them into leaving the forest with human form. They prevent humans from poaching in the forest. Again, please bear with my bad grammar ;__;

There were no tigers in Japan. At least in the wild. Thatwas what he knew since he was little. He didn’t know why Ogiwara was making a fuss about him making plans to enter a certain forest for his next exhibition. Sure the Meiro Forest was quite notorious when it came to animal attacks. Several photographers were attacked by wild animals. Some claimed that they saw a tiger charged at them even when he was sure that there wasn’t any wild tiger in Japan…ever. Many photographers came back from Meiro with reports of unexplained incidents, accidents and animal attacks. It became unsettled for both the locals and visitors alike. The locals there even claimed that the forest was haunted because there were powerful spirits living in it. Not to mention that people often got lost in the forest. Thus, the name “Meiro” or the Maze.

Despite all the horrifying story, Kuroko knew that he need to go to this forest. Maybe it was because of these horrible rumors, no one ever dare to enter the forest in fear of the wild animal attacks. The forest was never touched by the human, never being spoiled by the ever growing environment around it. It was a perfect place for nature photography. He had seen some of the pictures that some of the photographers managed to take. Meiro forest was nothing but the wilderness in its true nature.

“Kuroko, please reconsider. I know that you love this kind of thing with the whole ‘exploring the unknown’ but Meiro is too dangerous. And you are going alone!” Ogiwara’s voice was louder than he anticipated. He did tried hard to not let Kuroko going into Meiro. Since everyone he knew refuse to even get close to the area, he finally came to the conclusion that he needed to do this alone.

“Ogiwara-kun, I can take care of myself. Don’t worry, I know the risk. But I cannot let this opportunity pass. Meiro forest is one of the places I always want to go. I need to go there,” it was too late for Ogiwara because he already took the train to Meiro, well, without telling anyone.

“Yeah, and you could come back as a corpse mauled by some tiger!”

“There’s no wild tiger in Japan, Ogiwara-kun.”

“This is why Meiro is _creepy_! Everyone said they saw one almost killing them!”

“I’m sorry Ogiwara-kun. I’ll call you back,” he hung up to phone despite the loud protest on the other end of the line. There was this one philosophy he lived by since he was little, told by his grandmother. Animals only attacked those who offend them or the forest.

“Respect the forest Tetsuya-chan, and it will show you its true nature,” his grandmother used to say that to. The forest wasn’t just a place, it was alive. To him, the nature was something that everyone should behold. He wanted everyone to see the nature the way that he see it and also how he was taught by his grandmother to see it. This was why he choose this, to become a nature photographer.

He managed to get hotel in a nearby town. Not that there are many visitors in the town to begin with. Kuroko checked all his equipment on the day he got into the hotel. He packed light because if there was anything that was bound to happen, he should be able to run. Kuroko looked out of the window to the think woods where his destination lies. He have no idea what awaits for him in there but he was sure that it would be worthwhile.

The locals told him the direct and where he could rent a bicycle. Everyone he met refuse to go near that forest.

“Young man, we tried to go there. It’s not a good place. I saw many photographers like you tried. They either come back frighten or didn’t come back at all,” a man in his middle age told him. The forest was more like a cage that hold the evil at bay. Kuroko never knew that something so beautiful could be so dangerous at the same time. He could see the rows of trees from far away. What could possibly made these people so fearful about the forest?

“Was it the tiger? Is there really a tiger there?” maybe the thought of a wild tiger living in the forest of Japan was actually the truth. At least in the woods of Meiro.

“I don’t know if we should call it a tiger. It is more of a demon. Some of the locals here managed to survive an encounter with it and saw the same tiger in the last 50 years. No tiger could live that long. It’s probably a demon,” he waved Kuroko goodbye as he was leaving, “If you see a pair of red eyes you run okay young man? That’s the demon tiger.”

It was true to the man’s word. As he rode closer to the forest, there were less house and less people wandering there. It was as if was the civilization was driven away by the Mother Nature. He could help but took the picture of the land cleared from any sight of human. Just as to was about to took the picture of entrance to Meiro, he thought that he heard a low rumbling from the heart of the forest.

_A warning._

If the trees could speak it would scream “get out” at him. This place was different from other. While the forest might be alive, Meiro was thriving.

Kuroko put his camera bag down and get on his knees. He clasped his palm together into a prayer and cleared out his mind. _Respect the nature, Tetsuya-chan._ His grandmother’s words were as clear as day.

“Spirits of the forest and everything that dwell in it, I am not here to harm you or this forest. I offer my uttermost respect to this place. I only asked that you grant me a passage for me to admire the forest’s beauty. I would like to apologize in advance if anything that I do will offend you,” he could feel the waves of energy that seems to be intimidating him diminished slowly as he offered his small prayer. Instead of the anger presence that he once feel, this time he could feel the welcoming presence.

Sometimes all you need is just to let them know.

“Thank you,” he bowed down before getting his camera out. This was going to be a great shooting experience.

* * *

_Thank you_ he said. All he did was just telling the other spirits to stop scaring him off. There only a very few people who did that as they entering the forest, asking for the passage. But never did any of them said thank you. That was when Kagami Taiga knew that humans only do what it takes to get what they want. Humans are selfish.

Still…a thank you. He hadn’t heard that in a long time. At least he would like to think that those words were meant for him.

He watched at the little man (well…he was quite short compare to him), got his…little thing that he remembered some of the humans carry with them to “take pictures”. He wasn’t really sure what that means but he was sure that his brother, Tatsuya the Dragon, would know.

He observed as the young man with the sky blue eyes entered the forest with ease. No matter how good they start…they would always ended up the same. Humans entered here and disappointed him no matter how great he thought they would be. Why would this one be different?

No matter what they promise before they stepped a foot here, they would always break it. Kagami was used to it.

“You don’t need to do anything. I’ll handled this one,” he told the fellow guardian spirits of the forest. He felt that this person should fell into his responsibility. He looked so fragile. One swipe of his paw and the young man can die instantly…not that he really want to do it. He was tired to it. Tired of killing humans.

“This is place is really amazing,” he could hear the man said before starting to ‘taking pictures’ with his device. Why do humans do that really? Can’t they just remember the moment? Why do they need something to help them remembering what they see? Perhaps their memories weren’t as good as the spirits.

He followed the young man as he started to journey across the woods, trying to observe what he did. The young man continued to surprise him, just like how he surprised Kagami with the words of gratitude. He would walk over a young sapling so make sure that it wasn’t damaged as he walked by. He would not getting too close to any of the animals he saw and just stay away. He didn’t even marked the trees so that he wouldn’t get lost (Kagami was sure that he would later on). There were no litters along his journey, not a single bottle of water were tossed onto the ground.

In Kagami’s life he always saw someone coming here to steal something from them. Lumbers, animal parts, minerals or just everything. He was the one who chase away a group of people trying to find a mine in the forest. He was the one who attacked those poachers that were trying to kill a mother bear. Because humans are selfish and he was the punisher of their greed.

But this man…he was different. True, he came here for a reason but he felt that his reason wasn’t to get something from the forest.

“Kagami Taiga…why haven’t you chased away the man yet,” a loud booming voice belonged to a bear spirit rang from his side. Didn’t he told everyone that he would handle this on his own?

“We have rules. He hasn’t done any harm. I can’t get rid of him if he did nothing wrong,” he didn’t like this spirit. Fukaku always quarreled with him over many things, especially about the safety of the forest. But they both harbor the same thing, the resentment towards humans.

“Rules be damned, every humans is the same,” actually no, Fukaku harbored more hate towards human than anyone in the forest. Perhaps even more than Kagami himself. He knew how this could be a problem in the future. No matter how strong they are, humans with their fire and things they called technology are stronger. They could wipe the forest out if they were seen as too dangerous. Kagami had lost one home, he wasn’t going to lose another.

“Your rashness is going to get us all killed. You killed the last human that came here with that thing the boy was holding!”

“Says the person who has more body count than me. Kagami, you’re growing soft. All that human has to do is saying a little thank you and you fell for it. Where’s the blood thirsty tiger that I knew,” he gritted his teeth. He had grown since then. He knew what he almost brought upon the others.

“He has done nothing!”

“Let him go and let him showed those things that he captured to others and he would have done everything,” Fukaku hissed back before disappeared. Kagami looked around to see that the bear had disappeared. What he heard next was the roar of the brown bear just below him.

“Fukaku! Stop!”

But he was too late. Fukaku already charged in towards the young photographer. This wasn’t what he wanted.

* * *

Meiro was everything that he had ever wished for. The forest could look a little intimidating from outside but everything beyond that was nothing but beauty. There forest wasn’t really that thick. The lights that passed through the trees with some gentle breeze made him felt like this was more of the land in fairy tale. He managed to catch some rare birds and some beautiful insect that he was sure that he had never seen before.

He was really blessed that he had found this place. He felt like thanking whatever letting him into Meiro again because it was really worth the journey and perhaps listening to Ogiwara’s lecture. He was glad that he made the right choice.

“Fukaku! Stop!” he heard some kind of voice from the far side of the forest. It was faint but he thought that he was hearing someone shouting for sure. What followed it was an animalistic roar, a bear to be precise. Kuroko started to panic because he knew that the voice was getting louder. Something was heading his way.

He quickly put the camera in his bag before quickly tried to make his way out of the area. The rumbling of heavy footstep started to grow louder. He tried to run away from the sound but running in the forest wasn’t that easy. He looked back to see a shadow figure getting bigger from behind.

Whipping his head back forward, he tried to run fast. An animal jumped from the nearby tree and blocked his path. It was an enormous brown bear with a glowing yellow eyes. Kuroko fell backward at the sight of the bear growling at him and creeping closer. His first instinct was to clutch his bag. Was this what Ogiwara tried to warn him? That he was going to be killed?

Most people would closed his eyes as they were about to meet their final moments. Maybe it was an instinct in attempt to reject the reality. Maybe he would open his eyes again to see himself waking up on a bed. But Kuroko couldn’t his eyes was wide open when the bear swung its paw down.

A wisped of wind seems to quickly flew pass the back of his head in the split second that the bear attacked him. The moment that Kuroko thought would be his last moment didn’t come. Instead, what he saw in front of him right now was a giant tiger pounced the bear. Its force knocked the bear back and away from him.

The tiger moved back and gave one of the most terrifying roar that Kuroko ever heard. Sure he heard a tiger roar before in documentaries and video clips. But not like this. If the bear’s roar from before was terrifying, the tiger’s roar was more of a declaration of death.

The tiger and the bear were circling each other. The tiger seems to be…putting the distance between him and the bear. So it was true, there was a tiger living in this forest. Where did it came from and how did it live that long was still a mystery to him.

Both animal launched itself against each other. Teeth sunk in the skin, claws ripped the fur. It was happening so fast that he couldn’t keep track of which side of winning. The tiger leaped up on the bear’s back and bit down hard on its neck. The claws couldn’t reach the tiger and all it can do was trying to shake the tiger off.

The bear started to ran into the other direction and that was when the tiger let go and gave the bear one last intimidating roar as it ran off into the deeper part of the forest. Kuroko could actually hear himself breathing again after the fight ended. He just saw the real life animal brawl. And a real life wild tiger on top of that.

The tiger itself started to notice that he was there later on. Kuroko felt himself shuddered. What would the tiger do to him? Did it just defended him so that it could eat him later on?

He tried to back away slowly when the tiger turned its head back to look at him. Just like what the others told him about the tiger, it has red eyes. However, unlike what the others told him, it wasn’t really scary. In fact, it was probably one of the most alluring shade of red that he had ever seen. Somehow, he couldn’t feel any malice from the tiger at all, unlike the bear that just attacked him. It walked closer to him and Kuroko flinched away from instinct.

The tiger stopped in its track when he flinched before back away and walked into the other direction. Its long tail came into brushing with his cheek a moment. The tiger had no intention of harming him…it was protecting him.

“W-wait!” Kuroko tried to call after it even if the tiger didn’t stop or even look back.

“….Thank you,” Kuroko breathed out nervously, unsure if it would understand or not. Talking to wild animals had a different feeling to talking to pets. “Thank you for saving me.”

This time the tiger stopped for a moment before running away. Kuroko was along in the wild once again.


	2. Those who walk in between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are only a handful number of spirits that lives in between the two world. Kagami happened to be one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for all your support! I am really nervous and excited about this! ^ ^ Thank you so much. There will also be other pairing in the other than KagaKuro and I will started to add it one by one.

 

_How long has he been walking? He couldn’t remember. His stomach was too weak to be growling. He could no longer feel the ground beneath his paws. Where was he? All he knew was that he woke up in a container that he wasn’t familiar in and he managed to break out. He ended up falling from a moving platform and landed on somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be._

_He was lost._

_The little tiger cub collapsed at the foot of the nearest tree. After walking on the painfully thick ground, he finally found something soft he could rest on…or at least to spend his last moments on. The little tiger knew that it was dying. It was starved and dehydrated. Most of all, it was alone._

_It could feel his conscious drifting off but he could felt something brushing against its ear. A warm touch…just like how his mother’s paws felt like and that lady with golden hair. He missed them._

_“Little kitty are you lost? You don’t really look like one to me though,” the voice asked him._

* * *

The first day had been…very eventful. Actually, he was sure that there was a much more appropriate words for that but his mind was a bit hazy to think of anything except for eventful right now. There are several things that he needed to get his mind over.

One, Meiro was probably one of the most beautiful places that he had been. The forest was rich with wilderness untouched by the humans. He got a lot of good shots from the first day already. A lot of pan shot and some good close ups. If only Ogiwara was here to help him, they would have gotten more pictures. Ogiwara wasn’t a photographer but he was the one who helped him with directions and guiding him though the forests. He was sure that if he showed this to Ogiwara, he might change his mind and came here with him.

Two, the animal attack reports were quite accurate. Even if he was unharmed, it was quite a scary experience. As much as he wanted Ogiwara to come with him, he was glad that Ogiwara actually decided to stay away because of this.

Three, there was indeed a tiger in Meiro. A wild tiger to be exact.

Thinking about the tiger made his heart raced. It was one of the scariest yet the most amazing experience he had as a photographer. It was probably the only wild tiger he would ever got to see this close. He could still remembered the eyes that looked back at him at that moment. He never knew that tigers’ eyes could have that shade of red.

If only he could took a picture of it. Kuroko thought as he uploaded all of his first day’s pictures his hard drive. His mind seems to be dancing on the image of the tiger he encountered.

No, he came to a conclusion. He could never make the picture looked as beautiful as the sight he had seen. Nothing could be used to capture the moment of that encounter.

How a tiger ended up in that forest, was a mystery to him. How it could live that long is another thing that he could never find an answer. Unless he was able to talk to it, he was sure that he wouldn’t get an answer. Meiro was full of unsolved mystery. Kuroko couldn’t help but smiled as he glanced out of the window. Too bad, mystery was his most favourite genre.

* * *

 

“You and Fukaku again, huh.”

The voice came with a wisped of wind blew from behind. He didn’t even have to look back to see who it was. Himuro was just picking the right time to come back to visit him. Himuro Tatsuya was the icy dragon that came to visit Meiro regularly, every time with new stories for him to tell the others. . He wished that he could fly like his brother sometimes. Dealing with stubborn spirits like Fukaku tend to do that to him. Himuro was more than just another member of his surrogate family. Himuro was the one who taught him how to live as a spirit in this forest. Kiyoshi and the others might have offer him a place and made him welcome but it was Himuro who taught him how to live the life here.

“Like you never fought with him. He’s really difficult to reason with these days,” Kagami received a playful ruffled on his head.

“It used to be you in the past. Now you know how I feel.”

“I…wasn’t that difficult!”

“You are way more difficult Taiga,” Himuro gave him a brief headlock with Kagami trying to protest.

“I’m surprised that you actually defend a human,” Kagami swore that this was the tenth time someone mentioned it. He escaped from Himuro’s clutched and smoothen the ruined hair.

“As much as I hate them, I have to keep the rules. He had done nothing wrong,” _and I am tired of killing them,_ Kagami thought. In the past 50 years, he had taken the lives of many humans and it changed him immeasurably. It changed him from being a normal tiger to a spirit.

“Let’s not talk about this please, tell me about your travel brother,” They talked about Himuro’s travel. He went somewhere up north this time, far north. He met another icy dragon there that needs wings to fly unlike him. Kagami listened to it attentively to the story but also noticed something unusual about Himuro expression. The way he looked into the night sky like he longed for something.

“You visit that spirit house again didn’t you?” Kagami cut Himuro in the middle of his tales. Himuro stopped abruptly and sighed. Kagami could only groaned in frustration.

“Tatsuya…this will kill you someday,” he couldn’t really believe his brother. He had told him this many times.

“I only went there to see him Taiga.”

“Tatsuya,” Kagami tried this conversation again, “No matter what you do he can’t see you.”

Himuro became silent. They were living in a different world. They weren’t the living mortal. It started about ten years ago when Himuro traveled to Akita. He took a rest at a spirit house where some kid left a snack there. Himuro grew fond of the kid and never stop visiting that place. Kagami was concerned that if this persisted, it would do more harm to his brother.

“I know that…but I don’t mind it you know. I don’t mind that he couldn’t see me,” Himuro said softly. Kagami didn’t like this he didn’t like the idea of his brother being chained by this one sided affection.

“He didn’t even know you are there Tatsuya!”

“Taiga…as usual you are so dense,” Himuro gave him a small laugh, “Of course he knows that I am there. Why would he even left the snack there every day if….if he didn’t know that a spirit was there?”  

There was a glint of hope in his voice. It was the hope that kept his brother visiting that place every time he went away. And that worried Kagami a lot because no matter how hard Himuro tried, that person would never be able to see him. The mortals could never gazed upon the holy spirits like a dragon.

“Sometimes, I’m jealous of you Taiga. You are one of the few that can walk between two worlds. People can see you as both a tiger…and a human. You should have use it.”

Kagami frowned at the remark. He hated it…he hated this human form that he gain after decades of living in this forest. After years of fighting for the forest’s safety, he could transform into the shape of the creature that he hated the most: human. The first time he changed, Kagami couldn’t stand up. He didn’t know if it was because he wasn’t used to balancing on two instead of four legs or not. But there was one thing for sure, he couldn’t except that he was now a partially a human as well as a tiger. It took him years for him to get used to it, not being just an animal that roam the forest. He was now one of the entity that guard it, one of the spirits that nourish this forest. Himuro helped him a big deal, so did the other spirits in the forest.

“What do you want me to do? Transform into a human and talk to them? Like they’ll understand us.”

“And like you can understand them without talking, Taiga. The one who can actually communicate with them happened to be the one that doesn’t want to. Many of us here would love that have that power, don’t waste it,” before Kagami could reply, Himuro already flew away. He wished that he could do this, throwing everything into the past. But who would be the one that would listen to him?

* * *

 

The atmosphere of the forest on the second day didn’t changed at all. However, Kuroko couldn’t feel the hostility that await him at the entrance like the first day. Still, he prayed for the passage and permission to enter like always.

“I apologized for the intrusion again. I would do my best to not disturb you. Thank you for giving me a passage,” and with that, the forest welcomed him yet again. Kuroko bowed in a gesture of thank you. Somehow with the terrifying experience yesterday, he didn’t feel terrified by it. In fact, he really want to meet that tiger again perhaps just one more time.

Because he came earlier than yesterday, he got to see to forest waking up. It was a busy morning with all the song birds working hard for their young ones. The flower that were still glistening with dew were his favorite shot when he just want something to change his mood. The lighting was just right today, as if something was controlling the weather for him.

He dared himself and ventured deeper into the forest. He wasn’t sure if he would be attacked again today but something told him that he would be protected again. This forest seems to have eyes everywhere he went, he was being watched. It wasn’t an unpleasant kind of watching but more of being protected. He wondered how those people that came before him were attacked viciously. Why was he different?

Before he knew it, he used up all his memory cards. It was such a shame that he would only get to select a handful of these photos for his exhibition. If only he could actually use more. He was sure that what he got in two days was barely what the forest really was. He wanted to stay longer he wanted to explore this wonder more.

Just as he was turning back to where he came from, the path was unfamiliar to him. Kuroko didn’t want to mark the trees and hurt the forest. He relied mostly on his memory. But with forest like Meiro, his memories and his eyes were useless.

He couldn’t remember passing a certain landmark and couldn’t fine the one that he passed. To make to worse, Meiro didn’t have any clear paths for humans.

“Ah, this is not going to be good,” he should call for help. Kuroko did have an emergency radio for help. This is not the first time he was lost in the forest. However, as tried to adjust to the frequency, he couldn’t get the response from the other end. Nothing could be worse than getting lose in a forest with vicious animals.

Kuroko tried to think about any other possibility. Something that could get him back to the right path that he walked in at least. Just as he was about to get up and get going again, he heard footsteps. Kuroko first instinct was to hide because he wasn’t sure if that was an animal or a human. Then again, no humans ever ventured here…

He gripped on his camera bag and searched franticly for somewhere that he could hide. This was bad.

“Oi…you there,” a very unfamiliar voice caught his attention. A human voice. Kuroko snapped his head to the direction to find a real actual human standing there. He thought that the only human in this forest would be him.

“…Yes?” maybe the shock still hadn’t wear off and he failed to contain the surprising tone in his voice. The man moved closer and Kuroko finally got to take a good look at the stranger. He had a crimson red eyes and hair. The same shade that he once saw yesterday in the tiger’s eyes. The stranger was very tall. His silhouette looming over him actually reminded him of the bear from yesterday. Somehow…Kuroko took a small note on very unique eyebrows that intensify his already scary looking face.

“You’re lost?” even with such an intimidating features, his words had concerns hidden in it.

“Yes, I couldn’t get help with radio either,” Kuroko nodded and held up the radio in his had to him. The stranger ignored the device completely and seems to be scrutinized every detail on him.

“Follow me,” that was all the other said as he walked off. Kuroko could only stared at his back quizzically. What a strange man.

* * *

 

He did get lost. Kagami shook his as he watched the man took another wrong turn. You couldn’t just remember some of the familiar trees in the forest and hoping to use them as a landmark. It may worked for other forest but definitely not Meiro. At this rate, the photographer would definitely stuck in this forest until nighttime. He had no problem with that…but other spirits would grew anxious of this visitor if he stayed for a long time.

He sighed as he watched the photographer tried to operate his device and calling for help from outside. That would never work since this forest was under the protection of Kiyoshi Teppei, one of the oldest spirit in the forest. None of their man made device would reach out or penetrate the barrier he set up.

Kagami didn’t want to think of what he could do because he didn’t like it. The only way this photographer could leave this forest would be to get help. He cured the human for not being careful. He cursed him for making him resorting to this last method.

_“You are one of the few that can walk between two worlds. People can see you as both a tiger…and a human. You should have use it.”_

Himuro’s words came up unexpectedly. Why now of all the times. He hated this form no matter how many times he transform into it. He tried to imagine what human these days would wear. Maybe he’ll borrow it from the last human he chased away.

He feeling of the ground was different with something covering his feet. He could not feel the dirt underneath him and it feel foreign to him. Why did he have to be the only one in the forest who could do this?

“Oi…you there,” it was a bit weird when something other than the other spirits were able to hear his voice. The human looked the same as ever, that same wide sky blue eyes and that mellow face. He couldn’t help but soften when he saw that face. Kagami reminded himself that this man did nothing wrong yet…even if he was human.

“You’re lost?”

Kuroko wasn’t sure how this person managed to know his way through the forest. He had to come here so often that he managed to guide a lost person out. Was he a local? But as far as Kuroko knew, the locals want nothing to do with this forest. Who was he?

“Excuse me,” he tried to break the awkward silence between them as they walked, “Are you from downtown? I thought that the people here don’t want anything to do with Meiro.”

“Most are people who don’t understand the forest,” the stranger stiffly replied. There was a hint of frustration in his voice.

“Are you here very often? You seems to know Meiro a lot,” the stranger flinched for a bit before continue walking on.

“I…came here almost every day since I was young,” his voice seems to be softer all of sudden. They continued for a long while in silence. The stranger did not hesitate in his choice of direction at all. It was as if there was a path invisible to Kuroko that could only be seen by the strangers. Kuroko started to note that he was back to the trail that he passed. He sighed inwardly in relief that he was back on the right path. The exit was within his sight as well.

“Can I ask your name? I want to thank you properly. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I’m a photographer,” Kuroko offered. He wished that he could do more than this.

The stranger looked at him in surprised and scratched the back of his head like he didn’t know what he should do next. “…I’m Kagami Taiga….just…someone around here.”

“Kagami as in ‘Mirror’?”

“N-no, Kagami as in _Ka_ for ‘fire’ and _Gami_ for ‘god’” such a bold name. It suited him well, Kuroko thought. Kuroko bowed in a gesture of gratitude and thanked him for what Kagmai did for him.

“Thank you very much for helping me, Kagami-san. I would probably be stuck there till night time if it wasn’t for your help. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Again, Kagami seems to not know what to do and avoid looking at him. He seems to have trouble interacting with others. Maybe he spent too many of his time in the forest that he rare interact with people in town.

“…It’s nothing really. Just be careful next time.”

Kuroko waved goodbye and was about to get on his bicycle when an idea struck him. He ran back to Kagami who was just about to head back into the forest again (did he actually love there? Kuroko thought).

“Actually Kagami-san,” Kuroko grabbed on Kagami’s arm, “Can you be my guide? I need someone to help guiding me through Meiro.”

The expression on Kagami’s face was more than just surprised, he also seems to be very confused. Kuroko wanted to take this opportunity. There was someone who knew that forest well and could help him with this. He wasn’t sure how much Kagami might request for the payment but he would glad pay for it.

“Eh?!” Kagami exclaimed he tried to shake the hand that was gripping his arm away.

“Please help guiding me around Meiro tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Known Spirits in Meiro  
> Kagami Taiga = Were Tiger or Sa Ming Tiger  
> Himuro Tatsuya = Ice Dragon  
> Kiyoshi Teppei = Kodama or the spirit that lives in a tree.


	3. First day of walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko wasn't sure if he bought enough burgers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your support! I'm sorry if I am slow at this because I am trying to finish everything for my final projects. Thank you again for your patience ^^ This chapter is mostly from Kuroko's point of view.

Kagami could feel Kiyoshi looming behind his back. He could actually feel a smile beaming from him as he limped towards Kagami. He wished that Kiyoshi would stop that. The smile only add to his confusion right now.

“He’s a really great guy isn’t he?” Kiyoshi beamed as he sat next to Kagami. He was always like this, so happy about everything that happened in the forest. Even when he should be worrying more about himself.

“At least this way I can actually watch him and making sure that he won’t get lost,” that was what he was telling himself the moment he agreed to Kuroko. He wasn’t sure what brought him to actually agree with him. Kuroko also offered payment but he actually decline. Like a spirit could actually use those money.

There was something about the way that Kiyoshi smiled at him that made him unnerved. He knew what Kiyoshi was thinking. Unlike most of the spirits here, Kiyoshi never wanted to harm the humans. He tried to persuade the others to leave the humans alone but everyone never seems to agree with it. After all, the reason that he was barely able to stand right now was because of humans. Sometimes Kagami couldn’t understand him at all.

“I know what you are thinking. I’m doing this as a duty not because I want to befriend him.”

“But you can’t deny that he’s very friendly and understanding right?” Kiyoshi got him there. He knew that this human was very different from many others he encountered. Kuroko respected this forest and everything that dwelled in it. And for such a small human, Kagami had to give it to him that Kuroko was pretty brave to come back the second time.

“Who knows,” Kagami didn’t want to give himself a hope. Not that he was pessimistic but for all his life, disappointment and humans seems to go together.

* * *

 

“Ogiwara-kun is freaking out when I talked to him on the phone,” Kise’s voice also sound worried even though he wasn’t on the verge of panic like Ogiwara. It seems that the news of him travelling to Meiro spread out amongst his friends already. Ogiwara was a great friend and he was thankful that Ogiwara was worried for him, but he still couldn’t go back yet.

“I’m really sorry Kise-kun. But don’t worry. I’m unharmed,” he chose to omit the fact that he was almost mauled by a wild bear and encountered a wild tiger, “And I also found a guild who agreed to guild be through the forest as well.”

“Eh? But I thought that Ogiwara-kun said that no one travel into the forest, how come?” Kuroko didn’t know about that either but Kagami did. Kuroko knew that this must have been destiny, he found someone who can help him. Something tells him that Kagami Taiga would lead him to something wonderful…or even changed his life as a photographer.

“I just found one. He’s very good at it too. Although I don’t know how to repay him since he didn’t accept any money,” it was a weird moment for him too when Kagami said that he didn’t want the money although he would take the job. Kuroko was at lost for what he could give to him for his service.

“Hmmm…maybe treat him a lunch or something? I mean, if he’s like Aominecchi who never give much about money but basketball and magazines, then something simple like food would do?” Kuroko thought how that was a good idea as well. He thought that he might got Kagami and himself a burger they can eat as they had a lunch break. He didn’t know if Kagami would like it or not.

“I need to check on my photos and also my camera now Kise-kun. Please try to calm Ogiwara-kun down,” he could hear a wry laugh from the other side. “And if you can please tell others that I am fine as well? I don’t want them to be worried more than this.”

Kise promised that he will try. Other than Ogiwara and Aomine who understood him well, Kise was another person he could rely on and Kuroko trust him. He knew that Kise would be busy with photoshoots but he trust that he could handle the others.

Kuroko recharged his cameras and looking through his photos again. There was a picture of wild camellia that he captured. It reminded him of the Kagami and, strangely, that wild tiger that saved him. It was really a beautiful shade of red that keeps tugging him at the back of his mind.

“Where are your Mr. Tiger,” Kuroko looked out on to the window again. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow. Meiro wasn’t just a place for him to take pictures anymore. Kuroko realized that it formed into an addiction. It was as if the forest keep calling him back, whispered to him when he didn’t notice that he needed to come back.

Kuroko didn’t know what for.

Kagami Taiga wasn’t there when Kuroko arrived in the morning with a bag of burgers with his equipment. He looked around for the sign of his red headed guide but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. Kuroko wondered if he was late…or that Kagami changed his mind. He never felt more stupid for not asking Kagami’s phone number or his contact address.

“Maybe I really…should just went there alone today,” Kuroko said to himself and looked at the burgers in his bag.

There were sound of footsteps coming from the forest as Kuroko was about to get in there alone. Kuroko could see the crimson color of Kagami’s hair emerging from the shadows of the wood. He couldn’t help but smiled when he realized that Kagami kept his promise.

“You went in there again and it will be like yesterday,” Kagami sounded a little grumpy. Maybe he wasn’t a morning person? Kuroko wondered.

“You think that I would break a promise?” Kuroko smiled and shook his head. He should have given the man more credit, he did helped him for yesterday after all.

“Thank you very much again for the help. I really appreciate this,” Kuroko gave him a little bow and then handed Kagami the burgers that he got from downtown. Kagami looked confused when he saw it. Could it really be that…he never ate one before even there was one shop down the town? Now Kuroko really wondered what kind of life Kagami had.

“What is this?”

“It’s for you. Food for lunch. We are going to be here for a long time so I think that you might get hungry. You didn’t want money and I think that it was unfair of me to not give you anything for all the trouble that I caused you,” Kagami took out one burger and sniffed it experimentally before unwrapped one and looked at the thing inside. He looked at Kuroko who was looking at him with a warm smile. Kuroko gave himself a pat for getting the right gift for Kagami.

Kagami seems to notice that and put the burger back in the paper bag and lead Kuroko right into the forest. He didn’t ask Kuroko if there was any place that he want to see specifically, he just lead Kuroko right through the woods.

The first place that Kagami showed him was a little open turf in the middle of thick forest. He felt that he could breathe easier here. Kagami stopped at the edge of the opening and motioned for him to go in. In the middle was a stump standing there alone. Kuroko wasn’t sure how long was it since he had died because the stump looked old indeed. There were several flowers growing around it as if it was morning for their dead member.

“Someone came here once and cut it down. People that came here always leave the scars behind,” Kagami explained. Kuroko couldn’t help but winced at the story. He was sure that this tree used to be a big one as well. He ran his hand over the manmade cut. He wasn’t sure why that person cut it down but he could feel the sadness radiating from what was left of the tree.

Kuroko took out a camera but he wasn’t sure if he should take a photo of it. Not that he wasn’t comfortable with showing what the humans did to nature, he captured plenty of those in his career. But it seems that this was more of a grave rather than an opening in the woods. Taking pictures of it right now seems so…inappropriate.

“Afraid to take the ugly ones?” Kagami asked him. Kuroko shook his head. He wasn’t sure if this was Kagami’s intention, led him here to see this.

Kuroko was about to put the camera down when he noticed something near the stump. A small budding spouting from the stump. It was so small that he wasn’t able to notice the first time he looked at it. Kuroko smiled and decided to change his camera mode to Macro for this one.

“Sorry, I’m just trying to get the right angle for this one,” he took several photos of the little bud with Kagami looming behind.

They went further to other places that Kuroko knew that he could never find it on his own. There was a small brook where Kuroko was able to capture the red-crowned cranes, one of the rarest kind of crane. He thought that his heart had stopped the moment that he laid his eyes on it. He noticed that Kagami had special gift with spotting birds and small animals. He could pointed out to Kuroko if there was something coming, sometimes before even the animal started to move. Kuroko couldn’t help but wondered if Kagami was living in the woods himself.

Kagami led him to one area with the similar opening to the ones he had seen before but this timed, it was filled with seas of butterflies and thousands shades of flowers. He couldn’t say a word but his finger went trigger happy with the shutter buttons. He was sure that he could felt a few of them hanging on to his head. He laughed when a giant one landed on Kagami’s forehead to Kagami’s annoyance. A few more landed on Kagami’s head and tried to mess with his hair as if they were playing around with him.

“Really? Was that necessary?” he could hear Kagami complained out loud to the sea of butterflies that swarmed over him. He couldn’t help but took a snapshot of the moment Kagami tried to bat away the butterflies.

As the morning turned to afternoon, Kuroko suggested that they should take a break and eat something so that they can continue their journey in the evening. He asked Kagami to lead him to somewhere cool and somewhere they could sit down for a moment which Kagami obliged.

If there was such thing as a heart of the wood, Kuroko knew that he just found one. Standing before him was one of the biggest willow tree that he had seen. Probably one of the biggest tree in this forest as well. There was a small brook running by its side. He could see a small fox burrow by its root and at least three bird nests on its branch. He didn’t know why but sitting under the shadows of this tree made him felt as if he was sitting in some cozy home.

Kagami finally took out the burger that he had been holding all morning and scrutinized it as if he was trying to see if it was alive or anything. He unwrapped the paper, closed his eyes and took one small bite and chew it slowly as if he was expecting something taste horrible in his mouth. The moment he swallowed down the first bite, he took in a much bigger second bite and before Kuroko knew it, he waffled down the whole piece so quick that Kuroko doubt that was healthy.

“Ah…you can eat slowly. I have my own bento with me,” Kuroko wondered if he bought too little food for the man because as he was speaking Kagami was already at his 5th piece. Kagami looked at him with cheeks stuffed with burgers like a little cute chipmunk.

“Oh…thank you,” that was what Kuroko thought Kagami was saying because his mouth was full of food. 8 burgers went down Kagami’s stomach so fast that Kuroko could believe that a human could do that in such a short time.

“Say…what did you do with it?” Kagami asked him as he was wiping his mouth with his arms. Kuroko felt that he could offered his paper towels but it seems like it was too late.

“What?”

“The pictures you take…why did you take them? To make sure that you remember it? Do you all have such a short memory that you couldn’t remember what you see?” it was probably one of the most bazar question that Kuroko ever received in his career as a photographer. He wasn’t even sure where to start with his answers.

“Ah…it is my job really. I take pictures and sell them for living. But it wasn’t the selling part that I love, it was the moment that I got to live in the moment with the pictures. I love travelling to many places and experience the moments. I want to share it with those who didn’t have the chance. That is why I take pictures instead, hoping that people could feel what I feel with them,” Kuroko hoped that people could see this too, see how beautiful Meiro was despite the scary rumors it had. He was glad that he didn’t packed up and went back to Tokyo on the first day after that bear incident.

“Then why the forest? Why not somewhere else? I’m pretty sure that there are some where that was more attractive than trees and flowers.”

“That is the thing Kagami-san, I love the forest, the nature. It is beautiful to me. I want people to see how beautiful it can be,” he grew up with his grandmother who once worked as a conservationist. He grew up with picture books about nature and how it was a part of this world. It became a part of him before he knew it.

“Kagami-san, what about-”

“……Don’t call me ‘Kagami-san’ would you? It feels weird when you use honorific with my name,” Kagami looked away and scratched the back of his head. Kuroko couldn’t help but thought that he was quite cute.

“Alright, Kagami-kun. I think that we are done with the break, would you like us to continue?” Kagami nodded as they put away all their trashes in a plastic bag which Kuroko would carry with him to the trash bin as he leave the forest.

As they were about to leave the area Kuroko looked up at the willow tree one last time. He couldn’t help but brought his camera out to take pictures of it. He excused Kagami as he walk around the tree only to spot one of its root sticking up the ground. Unlike the other parts of the tree which looked healthy, the root was infested with fungi. It already started to rot as well. At this rate, the whole tree would be infected by it. Kuroko felt his heart constrict at the sight of it. This beautiful tree, the heart of the forest, was dying right before his eyes.

“I told you before right? That people came here leave scars? They tried to take the tree down. They only got the root though. But the cut weaken the tree. Now the wound is infected,” there was anger laced in Kagami’s voice. He didn’t even tried to hide it. Kuroko knew that Kagami must love this forest so much. He must have loved the nature as much as he did to feel this angry towards whoever did this.

There wasn’t a thing that that he could do right now to help it either. Perhaps he should asked Ogiwara about this. He knew a thing or two about pathology. Maybe once he got out of the forest. It would be a shame if this tree died. It was a home to many of the animals here and Kuroko hoped that it could still be for a long time.

He walked a few step more and saw something that he thought would never able to see again. A trail of paw prints belonged to a tiger. Kuroko gasped at the trail and fought an urge to follow it. He started to gaze around, trying to see if that tiger was around or not. He put his hand on the paw prints just to feel the size of it. This had to be the same one. There was no way it could be other big cats in this area. The memories of what happened two days ago would be forever etched in his mind. There was no way he could have forget it.

“I-I don’t think that it’s going to be around here. Those aren’t fresh footprints,” he could feel Kagami’s hand on his shoulder as if he was trying to steer Kuroko away from the spot. Kuroko wasn’t sure if Kagami was afraid of the tiger or not. Every local seems to know about it, he couldn’t see why Kagami would not know about it.

“Kagami-kun, do you think that we could see the wild tiger that lives here?”

“W-What? Why would you want to see it? Y…You want to take pictures of it?” Along the way, he never saw Kagami stumbled on his words like this. He always spoke with a clear confident voice that almost sound obnoxious. But never like this. He wondered if Kagami had any experience with the tiger itself. Perhaps the tiger attacked him like many of the locals had.

“Tigers aren’t the friendliest animal you might want to meet.”

“No,” he knew that. He saw that tiger handled a bear singlehandedly. He knew how deadly it could be, “Yet at the same time, I couldn’t help but find that they are one of the most beautiful animals as well.”

There was something that lit behind Kagami’s eyes when he mentioned that. He can see the anxiety that built up earlier faded away with something that Kuroko could only describe as disbelief. He hoped that he could change that fear in Kagami’s eyes someday. He wished he could show the beautiful tiger that he had saw.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that willow tree is Kiyoshi.


	4. The little tiger's story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami wasn't much of a talker, especially when it comes to his life story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay first of all, thank you so much for all the response! It really kept me going and writing more. As you may noticed, this might be a slow build kind of relationship between Kagami and Kuroko. I'm glad that you enjoyed this :)

They walked back to the edge of the forest together, to send Kuroko off. Kagami wasn’t good at human’s observing but he was pretty sure that Kuroko was close to flying off the forest as he looked through the photos that he got today. Everyone was having fun welcoming Kuroko into the forest as well.

“Are they that good? The photos you got?” he asked Kuroko who still had that small smile on his face. Kuroko showed him the photo of him with a yellow tailed butterfly on his nose. Ah dammit, that was Riko. Of all the pictures. Dammit.

It wasn’t something special, just a normal picture of a butterfly playing prank on him. The size from the glass that let him see was much smaller. Kagami still didn’t understand why shrinking what he had seen into that would make someone happy.

“It’s…small.”

“It would look even more amazing in bigger display,” Kagami only looked at the Kuroko quizzically. Maybe he should asked Himuro later about this. He had no idea what Kuroko was talking about at all.

The lines of trees disappeared as they reached the exit. This was it, Kuroko would not be bothering him anymore. He would be off and never returned here. He already got what he wanted, those pictures. Kagami was always glad that human left, but he felt…a little disappointed that when he finally found a good one, he had to leave like others as well.

“Today’s shooting had been amazing. Thank you so much Kagami-kun, for your help,” Kuroko thanked him again, bowing a little just like before. They were at the exit just like yesterday but this could be the last time.

“No problem. The animals in there would hate it if you wonder in there for too long,” although he was sure that after today, it would be the opposite since the spirits actually enjoyed Kuroko’s company. Even he did enjoyed it.

“You’re such a strange man, Kagami-kun. I really enjoy touring around Meiro with you,” he couldn’t believe what he just heard. Did Kuroko really said that? For all his life, all he did was scaring people away. So when Kuroko said that to him, everything seems too surreal.

“Thank you…” that was all he could said. Kagami didn’t know why the compliment made his face felt heated. Or even why his breath became a little shorter all of sudden.

“I have to leave for Tokyo tomorrow but before I go, can I meet you for the final time. I would like to treat you some burgers again. I think that it was really unfair of me for getting so many and you only get so little,” Kagami flinched a little when the burger was mentioned. Kagami did ate so many human food before. Some of them were left at the edge of the forest like that dumplings he ate 20 years ago or dried meat that was left over after he scared a group of human away. But that ‘Burger’ was probably one of the most wonderful food that he had ever eaten in his life. He was sure that it wasn’t Japanese food, it looked so…foreign in his eyes.

“It would…be great,” he felt the laughter of the others at the back of his mind. There he was, surrendering to his glutton stomach.

“That’s great. So I will see you by the Maji Burger downtown tomorrow?” Kagami could feel his heart dropped. He didn’t even know that his could actually felt that. There was no way he could going to the human’s town.

“….I’m sorry but I don’t want to go down there,” he couldn’t leave this forest. Actually it was more of him didn’t want to be surrounded by so many humans.

“You don’t have to pay for the meal. I’m-”

“I just don’t want to go there!” Kagami wasn’t even aware that he was raising his voice. He could see Kuroko flinching as if Kagami’s voice hit him. Kagami couldn’t believe that he just lose himself in front of another human. This could be bad, he could lose control of his power…he could transform right here.

“Just….leave it here and I’ll get it. I’m sorry,” with that he just ran back into the forest without daring to look back. He could hear Kuroko’s voice calling him behind, trying to get him back. Kagami ran like he running for his life. He didn’t know when did he started to run in 4 legs. All he knew was that he came to a halt at Kiyoshi’s willow tree.

Kagami was a strong spirit. He could run for thousands of miles without breaking a sweat. He could face any danger that may be brought upon the forest. But somehow, making a human with blue eyes made his legs grew weak. The tiger collapsed at the root of the willow tree and let out a pitiful whining noise.

He doubt now that Kuroko would return for tomorrow. Like someone would return after getting shouted in the face. Human came into his life and disappointed him. Just how the tabled has turned around.

“There you go moping again,” Kiyoshi was sitting by his side. His hand travelled to Kagami’s head and petted him. It really brought him back to the day that Kiyoshi found him and welcomed him to the forest. Kiyoshi became the father that he never knew. The one who raised him before he even became a spirit.

Kagami let out another whined and buried his face into his paws. The scary and ruthless guardian of the forest, being comforted like an upset little kitten. That was what everyone called him at first as well, little kitten.

“He doesn’t hate you, y’know,” Kagami rolled his eyes and thumping his tail in disagreement. He didn’t want any more false hope.

“Different from you Kagami, might not be visible to humans but I can look into their heart. There’s a reason that I let him into Meiro. Someday, I hope that you would understand too. Humans’ heart is actually much simpler than you think. You may have underestimate their capability of forgiveness and understanding,” Kagami didn’t say anything. He only gave the last whining noise before drifting into sleep with the warm hand caressed his fur.

Kagami dreamt of the days where he was still a normal tiger, still nuzzling in his mother’s warmth. He remembered that the place that he was born wasn’t a forest like this one either. It was rather a wall of glasses. He remembered a blonde hair human how would come and play with one once in a while. That was perhaps the only memory of a good human he ever had.

That was until Kuroko appeared. Somewhere in his dream he heard Kuroko’s laugh and then he saw him again. Kuroko was smiling as he was talking a picture of a little squirrel chewing a chestnut. Kagami was there, he was the one holding the chestnut actually. He remembered this, it was from their afternoon. He remembered how tranquil, how peaceful he felt when he was spending time with Kuroko. He didn’t understand how did this happened. He had done this a lot of times alone so why was it so different with Kuroko there.

“Kagami!” a sharp noise cut through his dream like the sudden thunder. Kagami cracked opened his eyes tiredly. Just what he needed after yesterday.

Furihata, a sparrow and also one of his close companion, was poking on his ears to wake him up. Furihata was more than just a spirit of a sparrow, he was the informant of the whole forest. With his small body, he can moved through the thick branches and vines and relay the news quickly. He might not be powerful, but he was far from useless.

“Sorry, didn’t feel like waking up early today,” Kagami complained and rolled over to another side like a lazy cat. Furihata pecked on his ears and pulled harder.

“Stop lying around! He came to see you!” Kagami felt awake all of sudden. He rolled over a tried to stand up which almost crush Furihata in the process.

“Wait…Kuroko is here?!” Kagami thought how Kiyoshi might wanted to add stubbornness into the list of how he underestimate human’s qualities. Kuroko still managed to surprise him all this time. He could also here it, the faint voice of Kuroko calling his name at the edge of the forest.

“What are you waiting for? He’s calling out for you, you big idiot cat,” there came another voice of Kawahara by the trees. This damn monkey…

“I know! Dammit give me a sec would you,” Kagami quickly transformed into a human and ran to the opening. Sometimes he wondered if any of them actually saw him as a guardian of the forest but more of a friend. To be honest, he saw them that way too. To Kagami, the members of his forest was more than the people he protect, they were the family that raised him.

The light of the morning was stronger in the opening and he first mistaken Kuroko’s hair for the sky. There he was, with a bag of burgers in his hand and his luggage following him. He really did came for him.

The first thing that he thought Kuroko would say to him was explanation for his outburst yesterday. Instead, Kuroko laughed at him which Kagami could only stared in confusion.

“Kagami-kun, did you really sleep in the forest after yesterday? Your hair is full of leaves,” Kagami patted the mop of hair to discover a collection of leaves stuck in it. He shook his head hard, hoping to get rid of them which caused Kuroko to laugh even more. He hand a bag of burgers to Kagami after he was done with it.

“I thought that you won’t come…after yesterday,” he could say that he was ashamed of himself, for being such a coward but Kuroko shook his head.

“It’s fine Kagami-kun, I shouldn’t push you,” he couldn’t believe how Kuroko was feeling guilty for what happened when he was the one that had that outburst. Just like Kiyoshi said, he underestimate the human’s capability of forgiveness.

“…You don’t think that…I’m weird?”

“Kagami-kun, if you could only see what kind of friend I have, you are the least weird of all the weird list,” Kuroko smiled and sat down on the grass, not afraid of the dirt. He took out what seems to be a cup but it was also made out of paper.

“We could eat together if you want. My train is in the evening,” Kagami looked into the bags. The aroma of baked buns and grilled meat made him going hungry again. He took one and handed to Kuroko while he started to waffle down his burger. They both ate in silence which was more of Kagami waffled down like it was his last meal and Kurko nibbled on the piece slowly.

Kuroko also introduced him this drink called ‘Vanilla Shake’ that was so sickenly sweet yet enjoyable at the same time. He wondered how humans can drink this every day, he was sure that he could only drink this once a week. He side glanced to Kuroko who suck his drinks through straw so that he could mimicked. He wasn’t familiar with this eating instrument.

The cold liquid made him clutched his head. This was as cold as the water in the winter. How could human love to drink this every day? Kuroko was chuckling beside him as he tried to eat more burger to dispel the coldness in his head. Humans do have weird things with food.

“Say Kagami-kun, do you know anything about the tiger in Meiro?” it was a question that he never thought that Kuroko would ask him. He didn’t understand why Kuroko really wanted to know more about the tiger when what he saw was how frightening it was. Was saving his life really had that much effect on a person?

Kagami debated shortly if he should just shrug or saying that he didn’t know about it or did what Kiyoshi and Himuro would have wanted him to, understanding the humans. Kagami couldn’t reverse what had been done to him, he already tried that and failed. Yet, he didn’t want to embrace the human part of him either.

But he knew that Kiyoshi was never wrong.

“I know…quite a bit actually,” the wrapping of the burger crumbled in his hands. Kuroko was looking at him attentively. He felt something pulled his chest as he tried to speak.

“Long ago, someone tried to smuggle a tiger cub to somewhere near this town. From somewhere called America, I think,” he remembered Himuro mentioned that to him once that he was from there. He couldn’t remember much about it though. “The box crate they put him in fell off as they travelled. The little tiger ended up in Meiro.”

And then Kiyoshi found him, welcomed him to the forest where he was being babied by numerous other spirit of the forest. They thought that he was a cat at first until Himuro pointed that he was a tiger. Because of Himuro, he was able to learn about things outside this forest. Kagami never wanted to venture far off the border of this forest. He wasn’t only protecting it but he was afraid of leaving Meiro. As he protected the forest, it was also protecting him from the humans out there.

“But that was at least 50 years ago wasn’t it? The villagers told me that they had seen the tiger for more than 50 years,” Kagami was silent. He wasn’t sure how he should continue the story. Do humans still believe in spirit nowadays? Most didn’t seem to think like that anymore. They couldn’t see them, was there any reason to believe in things that you couldn’t see?

But here he was, visible to another human. Because Kagami was different, he was one of those who could walk between the world of mortals and the realm of spirits. And Kuroko, this strange human that seems to want to befriend him so badly, also believe in the spirits or else he might not pray for the spirits’ permission to enter the forest.

“Do you believe in spirits Kuroko?” he saw Kuroko nodded slightly, “then you know the answer. The tiger is a spirit, not a normal animals in the wild.”

“How did this happened?” it wasn’t something foreign for the humans as far as Kagami knew. Humans created legends about cats being turned into demons and how objects became animated. A tiger turning into a spirit wasn’t something new.

“Like others, the tiger grew up. It wasn’t the friendliest one either. So when bad humans entered the forest, this tiger attacked them. Sometimes the humans got away…sometimes they didn’t. Those who didn’t ended up being his food,” Kagami had a hard time swallowing what was clogging up in his throat. He remembered this times. The thirst for human blood was so strong he almost attacked even innocent humans. If it wasn’t for Kiyoshi and Hyuuga stopping him, he would have attacked them. There was a time his was out of control. Those were the darkest time of Meiro. Some spirits opted for them to chase him away but Kiyoshi, the kind hearted lord of this forest let him live. He couldn’t find a way to repay him other than staying in his service.

“The more the tiger ate, less it became an animal. One day, it woke up to find itself standing on two legs. The tiger became one of the spirit that protect this forest,” he woke up to find himself turned into the thing that he hated the most. He took their shape, walk and talk like them. It felt like his world turned upside down. He wanted to be angry and cursed at those humans for making him like this but Kagami discovered that they only person he could blamed for his transformation was himself. He was the one who put this upon himself. With the help of others, he learned to use this body, learned to transform and how to take shapes.

“The tiger that you saw…might be that one,” Kuroko seems to be absorbed in the story. He could see Kuroko trying to make the picture of the scenario in his eyes. He didn’t get to talk about his life to others much, not that he need to tell his life story to anyone in Meiro. There was a strange feeling of relief as he told Kuroko his life story even if Kuroko may not know that it was his.

“That tiger, must have been lonely. He’s the only tiger in this forest.”

“He’s the only one, but he wasn’t alone,” Kagami couldn’t help but smiled fondly at the thought of his surrogate….no, his own family. They might be a little cluttered and messy, sometimes downright pain in the butt but Kagami love them.

“He seems…kind to me. Even if you said that he was scary.”

If only Kuroko could see what he was many decades ago, what a monster he was, Kuroko wouldn’t say that. At least now that he was more matured, he could at least held his temper for a least a while.

“He’s scary but he also uphold this forest rules. No one hurts the innocent.”

“This forest has such rules?” Kagami felt like knocking himself against the closet tree. He just blurted out their rules of the spirit realm.

“I-I-I….that’s what people told me about this forest. If you are a good person they won’t harm you,” he couldn’t help but look away, scratch his head in embarrassment as he tried to come up with the words. What kind of idiot he was, slipped up something like that.

It wasn’t long until Kuroko had to leave. Because of their long talk, they didn’t even managed to finish their burgers. Kuroko gave all of them to Kagami as a payment for leading him into the forest. Kagami gladly accept it. At least this could fill his belly for the day.

“I would love to visit Meiro again Kagami-kun. I hope that you would still be here when I come back.”

 _Where can I really go?_ Kagami thought. But instead of saying that, he replied softly “I’ll still be here.”

Kagami turned back and was about to went into the forest when he heard a sound he was very familiar for the past two days. The sound of the shutter of Kuroko’s camera. He whipped his head back in surprise. Kuroko look as startled as he did. The camera in his hand was different. It wasn’t the same one that he had in the last two days.

“Ah! Sorry, just want one more last picture of you.”

“You are such a weird person you know that?”

Kuroko smiled as he catch on the little piece of paper that came out of the camera. Kagami didn’t know that Kuroko also have that kind of camera as well.

“Everyone said that about me.”

This time, Kagami disappeared into the forest with bag full of delicious burger. There seems to be a small fight for human food later on this evening for sure.

* * *

 

Kuroko looked as the picture that started to develop in his hand. He could feel his heart beating faster when the colors started to appear on the Polaroid film.

“Aren’t you one mysterious man Kagami-kun?”

 


	5. An opened heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Kiyoshi’s acquaintance was a weirdo and Kuroko returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Whaaaa I apologized for the wait ;__; I just start working after finish University and tried to settle down to this new lifestyle. I should get used to it now haha. 
> 
> I couldn’t help but insert Madara (also known as Nyanko-sensei) from Natsume Yuujincho in it since it is also another anime that inspired me as well. If you don’t know who it is, Madara is a wolf-like demon that was sealed in a Maneki Neko doll (Lucky Cat). He was later freed by a boy named Natsume Takashi who later on became his partner and Madara guarded him with the promise that Madara would get to own a book called “Book of Friends”, a book which hold the power to command demons with names in it, after Natsume died. He also disguised himself as a pet cat in order to follow Natsume around. You should give the anime a try :D

“Hmmm…no wonder you like this one, Taiga. This is the food from you’re your birth place. At least from where you were born but not meant to live,” Kagami gave one burger to Himuro. He forced himself to not eat the last piece just so that Himuro could tell him more about this food.

“I mean, it looked a bit different from other food I saw. It was…foreign,” Kagami had some knowledge about human food but this one was out of his expertise. Whatever this burger was, it just couldn’t stop eating them.

“Maybe I’ll bring you some of the snack the boy left for me next time,” Himuro took a bite of the burger. It had pickles, Himuro’s favorite food, in it as well. He looked really pleased with the food. Perhaps he should save the pickles for Himuro later on if Kuroko returned.

“If only human could leave more quality food at the spirit shrine...” most of the time it was some left over food or something that wasn’t so expensive. They weren’t going to spend that much on something they couldn’t see.

Kagami’s days went back to normal. The same routine of walking around the forest, making sure that everything was in order. There were some spirit that passed by and asked for a stop at Meiro which he welcomed them as long as Kiyoshi agreed. Humans weren’t the regular problems of Meiro even if what they did was very troublesome. Most of the time, it was the malevolent spirits that passed by. The reason that he didn’t hate dealing with spirits was that he could beat them easily. Kagami might be a young demon but he was strong. And even if he couldn’t, he got a lot of backups. Meiro got an army of strong spirits that guarded it. Kagami happened to be the first wall, the first person that charged in. Most of the time, he didn’t need to fight but when he did, he made sure that he hit them right home.

Today’s visitor was a huge wolf spirit named Madara. Kagami never saw him before but he was an acquaintance of Himuro and Kiyoshi. He felt uneasy with any dog or wolf spirit in general. Maybe it was because he was beaten by one badly when he was young (Riko was the one that pulled them apart). The spirit laughed at him as he could felt the tiger tensed at his presence. Kagami could feel the energy that this demon possessed. He was one powerful demon. But somehow, this powerful demon reeked human’s scent.

“It was a long time since I saw a tiger. Still young I see?” Kagami never thought that there could be any demon better than Tatsuya in his tiger form but clearly he was wrong. There were so many things laid beyond the walls of Meiro. Kiyoshi asked him to welcome the demon but Kagami didn’t

“I can see why you frown. The type that hate human, huh,” Madara chuckled with his wolfy grin. He couldn’t understand Kiyoshi’s and Himuro’s taste in friends.

“They are repulsive. You should see what they did to Kiyoshi-sama.”

“You should see what they did to me,” in a blink of an eye, the giant wolf turned into a little cat…actually he was a fat cat that looked like a doll more than a cat. Kagami tried to not laugh but he couldn’t help it in. This was the fearless demon Madara being sealed in a doll cat form. And oh on, Madara’s voice was no longer that deep powerful voice.

“Don’t laugh brat!”

“I’m sorry!” he managed a breathy reply with arms around this body, trying to making himself still without lying on the floor laughing at the pathetic form Madara took.

“Did they kept you as a pet or something?” Kagami couldn’t help but asked and Madara’s lack of reaction even confirmed it. He couldn’t help be became marveled at the demon. How was it possible that a human could control a demon this strong?

“…they’re my pet.”

“Yes… I understand,” but the way that he said it and how he was unable to hold his laugh betrayed him and Madara shook his head as he entered the forest.

“Humans…they’re weak and simply just too fragile. Sometimes they cared about things too much that they became so annoying. But who could blame them. To us, they are just little lives that would passed away in a blink of an eye. 70 years means nothing to us demons anyway. Can’t blame them for doing something stupid,” that made him stopped laughing. He never thought about that before. Maybe it was because he was still young and naive compared to the others.

Madara didn’t stay for long. He seems to drop by to ask Kiyoshi about something and left immediately. He wondered if Madara came here for the humans. Kiyoshi said nothing when he asked about it either. He knew that it was something

Humans. They were so fragile and weak. Yet at the same time they possessed so much power that even strong demons and spirits could lost against them. They were one of the mysterious creature on this planet. To think that he was also a part of them and yet failed to understand them was such a great irony.

* * *

 

True to his words, Kuroko came back. Furihata came to him one morning to tell him that the boy with the blue hair came back. This time with another friend. He grew suspicious of the new visitor immediately and couldn’t help but feeling a little betrayed by Kuroko. Why did he bring another human here? Was he going to harm the forest?

“Kagami-kun?” Kuroko called him out even though he didn’t seem to be able to see Kagami at all. He wondered how Kuroko knew that Kagami would be there in the forest. Kagami had no choice but to go out in his human form.

The moment that he stepped out into the opening, he noticed how Kuroko smiled. Kuroko did not have a camera with him this time. His acquaintance was a man taller than Kuroko himelf. He had a brick brown hair and wore a bright smiled on his face. However, even with the cheery attitude, anxiety leaked from his body so strong that Kagami wondered if it was his intimidating appearance that made him felt that way.

“How did you know that I am in the forest?”

“It is a lucky guess. I see that you really enjoy your time in there,” just like before, Kuroko handed him a bag of burgers. The smell of fresh baked bread and the grilled meat, he could felt the hunger rising up in his stomach. Kagami could almost felt his ears and tail twitch which he quickly suppressed the urge. He couldn’t have that here right now. He need to find out about Kuroko’s friend. Kuroko seems to note his suspicion and introduced his friend right away.

“This is Ogiwara Shigehiro-kun. He is my childhood friend and also my guide on normal basis. While he doesn’t look like it much, but he is also an expert at botany,” Kagami couldn’t understand the word or how “expert at botany” supposed to look like.

“I’m here to see about a willow tree with root infection,” Ogiwara said with a firm voice contradicting how he was actually acting, “Kuroko said that you know your way in the forest. Just a note first, are you sure that there’s no wild animal waiting to claw us in there?”

“No, as long as you don’t offend them,” that was the most honest answer he could give. He knew that Kuroko wouldn’t be a problem but he wasn’t sure that if Ogiwara would made it in the forest alone. And here he thought that Ogiwara was supposed to be the person who led Kuroko in the forest.

Kagami hesitate at first because he still didn’t know about Ogiwara and he still haven’t got anything from Kiyoshi either. But if here was here for the root infection then Kuroko must have brought him here to help Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi was important to him and everyone else in the forest. Important enough for Kagami to put aside the prejudice and the urge to doubt. He wasn’t sure how much Ogiwara would be of help. But he think that it would be do something since they tried almost everything.

Ogiwara knew how to walk in the forest. He might be even better than Kuroko when it came knowledge of the forest. He took notice of the rare plants and animals much faster than Kuroko. As clumsy as he looked, Ogiwara was careful as he was walking in the forest.  He was observant and careful for someone that seems to clumsy. When it came to the things that he did well, Ogiwara did it at his best.

When they reached Kiyoshi’s tree site, Ogiwara gasped a little, either by the site of how big the tree was or at how horrible the infection was. Kuroko frowned a little at the state the tree was in. It had worsen since his last visit. The infection spread across the wounded part of the root to the other healthy parts.

“This is bad Kuroko. This is not just any fungi infection, it’s Armillaria root rot,” just from one look, Ogiwara could identify it right away. Kagami couldn’t understand the terms that Ogiwara was using or how bad did he meant. But he knew that Kiyoshi was severely weaken by the infection. He might fake it but everyone knew just how the lord of Meiro was suffering in silence. If the other demons knew how weak Kiyoshi had gotten, there might be a fight to win over the land. Kagami wouldn’t let that happened. The others in the forest wouldn’t let that happened either.

“I’m surprise that it can live this long. Usually it took a few months for a tree to die, you said this infection has been going on for years?” his heart shuddered at the statement. Was the disease supposed to be that serious? He had no idea just how hard Kiyoshi must have fought in order to keep the infection at bay, so that he could stay with all of them for a while longer.

“Can we do anything for it, Ogiwara-kun?”

“You know, most of the botanist would choose to cut the tree, especially the ones that has been infected for so long. This kind of disease would not only kill the infected tree but also spreading across to other nearby trees as well. This whole forest could die just from one tree,” Kagami felt like burning. How dare he said that?! There was no way that he would let them kill Kiyoshi!

“There’s no way that we could do that!” Kagami roared. That made Ogiwara jumped in surprise with his outburst he dropped compass and backed away. Kagami tried to breathe and calm himself down. Losing control would meant that he would lose his form.

Kuroko seems to take in how upset he was and tried again. “There has to be another way to solve this. This tree is too important to many lives in his forest Ogiwara-kun.”

Ogiwara scratched his head and sighed. He not only have one hot-tempered Kagami pressuring him with death stare but also a pleading Kuroko. It was like being dumped with hot and cold water at the same time.

“I did said most botanist. There’s also chemical treatment. We take care of the tree, giving it fertilizer and using some fungicide to kill the infection.  Hopefully, the tree is strong enough to fight back and that the chemical therapy is enough to kill the infection,” Ogiwara took out a glass tube and scraped a small sample of the fungi into it. Kagami didn’t know what that would do, he tried to scratch the bad bark out at first as well and ended up almost hurting Kiyoshi. He never dared to try anything since then.

“You are going to need to apply both the fertilizer and chemical regularly for it to work-”

“I’ll do it!” Kagami didn’t even hesitate. If it meant that it would save Kiyoshi, if it meant that it would save the forest he would do anything. Even if it meant that he had to bow down and obey what these human said. “Just…tell me what to do. I’ll do what you said.”

Ogiwara took out a paper and seems to be writing something on it and handed it to Kagami. It was a list of something that Kagami couldn’t understand. Was this supposed to be the medicine for Kiyoshi? He would need help from Himuro for this. He wondered if Himuro would have any idea about these things at all. Himuro might be wise but there was always something that he didn’t know about.

“You have to soak the infected area with these fungicide daily. It should not be that hard to acquire from downtown. Also, don’t forget the fertilized the soil that it give the tree extra kicks to fight the infection,” downtown, entering the human neighborhood. That was what Kagami was so afraid of. He didn’t want to mingle with the humans. He didn’t even have their money. Even if what he could use to help Kiyoshi was just so near, there was no way that Kagami could get it.

Kagami couldn’t feel himself breathing. Grief seems to suffocate his throat. The human emotions overflowed him like the huge tide. A gentle hand reached out and touched his wrist.

“Kagami-kun, I’ve been thinking.”

The soft voice of another man startled him out of his thought. Kuroko took the paper from his hand slowly, “I can help you getting these fungicide. Like Ogiwara-kun said, it shouldn’t be hard to get one. And since I am thinking of coming back here regularly anyway, we could do some arrangements.”

“Kuroko…” that was the only thing that Kagami could say. Kuroko would help him, help Kiyoshi and saved him from this fate. He grasped Kuroko’s hand that was holding the paper and smiled in relief. It was the moment he was glad that by any crazy chance, Kuroko choose to come here, that he saved Kuroko and met him. He was thankful that Kiyoshi convinced him to open up to this little human. He alone couldn’t save Kiyoshi, but maybe now someone else would help him.

“Kuroko, thank you. You’re not even from here but you want to help,” he knew that he had nothing to repay Kuroko. No human money or the food. To be honest, the only thing they shared at this point was the love for Meiro. Perhaps that was enough as a payment for what he could do for the blue haired man.

“And when you need a guide you know that you could always call me,” the agreement was set. Kuroko smiled contently and Kagami…Kagami smiled happily. Something that he felt that he haven’t done in a while, not when he was in his human form.

“I will show you all of Meiro. You deserve that after you had done for this forest,” because Kuroko did something in weeks something he failed to do in years. Kuroko was the one that brought Ogiwara here to save their lord. He was another guardian of this forest, spirit or not.

“I’m sure that I will enjoy it Kagami-kun.”

* * *

 

The next day, Ogiwara and Kuroko came again with big liquid containers. It wasn’t heavy for Kagami but it was sure heavy for both of them. They taught him how to apply the chemicals and taking care of the wound. The forest was extra lively that day with the great news spreading around wildly, that their lord has been saved.

Ogiwara went back early for this work in another place. He was the type that travelled a lot anyway according to Kuroko. Kuroko stayed in Meiro, doing nothing but sightseeing around the forest that Kagami lead him. This visit was just Kuroko observing, living in the moment as he enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of Meiro.

“I’m surprise that you didn’t bring your camera. You make a living from it don’t you?”

He wondered how much Kuroko made money from the photos. Was he rich at all? He had no idea about cameras but he was sure that Kuroko would need money for those things as well.

“…Sometimes, I just don’t take the pictures. I just want a moment without anything between me and the forest. No cameras, deadlines or assignments to think about.”

They were sitting on a rock, gazing up at the sky that the tree opened for them. Kagami didn’t know that there were such human, someone who would do everything to help the forest. A place that wasn’t even his home. Kagami knew that he wouldn’t do that for the human town. He had to admit that Kuroko was stronger than him, no matter how fragile he looked.

“Thank you for helping Meiro, you have no idea how much it meant for everyone in this forest,” if only Kuroko could hear the spirits talk, if only he could feel the rejoice and the relief when they knew that there was a way to cure Kiyoshi, he would know how much he had done for them. Kagami never thought that being the only person in the whole forest who could make contact between the humans and the spirits could be so overwhelming. Kuroko had his eternal gratitude and also his respect.

“You also worked so hard to help as well Kagami-kun. If you didn’t lead me and show me these things, I might not be able to help that tree as well. Sometimes you give yourself too little credit. This forest must have been so important to you as well.”

“Yeah…it’s my home,” he was able to say that fully without feel like he was pretending to be a human. With this, maybe things would return to normal soon. No more sleepless nights as he thought about how Kiyoshi was suffering, about the future of the forest if Kiyoshi wasn’t there anymore.

“Then I am glad that we could save it. It has become important to me as well.”

They ate the burgers again and Kagami talked about the other parts of the forest that he haven’t showed Kuroko yet. If there was any human Kagami felt that he would show all Meiro’s secret without worrying about the consequence, it was Kuroko. He never knew that just by talking to him on that day could lead to this. And maybe, just maybe, Kuroko would let him learn a little on what it was like to be a human as well. Perhaps it was the time that he finally use this gift like how it was meant to be used.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Armillaria Root Rot (often called oak root fungus, mushroom root rot or shoestring fungus rot) is caused by a fungus found in the soil which attacks and rots the roots of many plants and trees. Wounded or Weaken trees are easy targets. Once infected, trees will die within months or shorter. It can also spread to nearby trees in the area as well. At the right condition they formed mushroom which can spread spores and create new infection center as well.


	6. Polariod

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small photo held such a big secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well as promised, I am back from Japan and trying to get the chapter done one by one as I settled down to my working life XD Here’s the chapter that everyone has been waiting for I think.

Every two weeks, Kuroko would visit him for about three days. Each time with the medicine for Kiyoshi and also some human food for him even if he said that Kuroko didin’t need to. Kuroko still insisted on treating him even if Kagami thought that helping Kiyoshi was already enough.

They slowly see some of the improvement. The infection starting to reduce and died away at a snail pace but it was working. Ogiwara was right that it would take quite a long time. Kiyoshi slowly started to regain back his strength much to the other’s delight.

One day, Kagami asked him about the infection. Ogiwara said that it usually didn’t take long for the infection to kill a tree but Kiyoshi had this one for years. And the possibility of it spreading to other trees are high. Kiyoshi was a strong spirit. That was probably the reason that he could still survive this long. But why didn’t the disease spread even after all these years?

He discussed this with the other spirits. It was Hyuuga questioned Kiyoshi one day, demanding the answered that he may have hidden from everyone. They were all presence, waiting for the answer from their leader.

“There are something that I can’t control. But if I have to choose between myself and you all, you know which one it would be,” Kiyoshi used all of his power to keep the disease at bay, keeping it from destroy the forest but failed to heal himself. As strong as Kiyoshi was, his power was still limited. He could keep the disease from spreading and also healing himself at the same time. As so his condition worsen until today.

“You…stupid idiotic stump!” Hyuuga almost punched him. Almost.

Because it was probably the decision anyone would have made if they were the leader of this forest. They would rather rot to the ground than letting the whole forest coming down. Everyone understand the weight that Kiyoshi was carrying. They couldn’t blame him for that decision.

They just wished that Kiyoshi wouldn’t have to hide that from them.

They all do what Ogiwara suggested to him, keeping the soil around the trees fertilized. Riko was especially good at that. Other than the fertilizer that Kuroko provided, they also gathered dead leaves and fruits on their own and put it around the tree. Whatever that could help to give Kiyoshi strength, they would do it.

Every time that Kuroko came to visit him, Kagami kept his promise and helped him with the photography. Beyond that, he also teaching Kuroko about Meiro. Mostly about how to walking around it without getting lost, the landmarks which normal people would miss. Kuroko listened to him attentively and learned about Meiro faster than Kagami first anticipated. Somehow, Kagami didn’t feel like Kuroko was a stranger that got lost into the forest anymore but rather a regular visitor…and perhaps a friend.

Kuroko also brought him more than just burgers and vanilla shake. He started to introduce other food to him as well. If there was one thing that Kagami admitted that humans did really well, it was their food. It was also the reason why some spirit wondered into the town so that they could get a taste of human food. Kuroko brought him fried dumplings that was as good as burger (even if burger was still his favorite).

They did most of their work in the morning. First they treated Kiyoshi’s wound first before heading to other parts of the forest to take the photos. But Kagami knew that Meiro’s beauty wasn’t just in the morning. In the morning, Meiro was thriving with life but at night Meiro was like a dreamland.

“If you really want to see everything about Meiro, you have to see how they are at night as well. Not everything could be seen in the morning,” he suggested Kuroko to take the morning rest and come again at night. Kuroko looked excited when he heard about this.

“I haven’t done night photography in quite a while. This will be a good practice for me,” Kagami didn’t know if taking photos at day and at night would make much of a difference or not but he really want Kuroko to see his home at night. If Kuroko could fall in love with Meiro in the morning, he would like to see what night time would do to him.

Kuroko looked as if he was about to skip a bit as he walked off the forest. Kagami looked at the little blue hair disappearing from his line of sight. Before he even knew it, he smiled whenever Kuroko was around. Everyone in the forest commented how he was smiling more now a days. Why should there be a reason for him to not smile? Kiyoshi was recovering, no matter how slowly. He started to make some more friends…or at least making a friend with one human. Wearing human’s skin didn’t made him feel disgusted anymore. Because wearing this human form will let him talk to Kuroko. Talking Kuroko was very enjoyable.

There was a time that Kagami tried to interact Kuroko in his spirit form. Of course Kuroko couldn’t see him. It was quite enjoyable to see Kuroko working without him distracting. He tried to be in front of the camera without Kuroko knowing. Not that the camera can capture him anyway.

Kuroko taught him more about human and what it was like to be one. He would tell Kagami stories about the places that he went in his career, his family and his friends. Although Kagami would understand less than half of what Kuroko told him, he still found it enjoyable to listen to it. Humans were just so busy they never seems to be able to sit still and relax for a moment. But like Madara said, it must be because they haven’t got much time.

He started to think about himself as human. Kuroko never seems to ask Kagami about himself which Kagami was actually thankful for it. He wouldn’t know what to talk about. He still didn’t know about humans enough to fake a story. He just said that he was another person from the town who just happened to be here a lot. But now, Kagami started to wonder if that was because Kuroko wasn’t interested in him at all. Maybe Kuroko just kept befriending him for the guide in the forest.

Kagami shook his head. There was no way that someone like Kuroko would do something like that. The boy was kinder to everyone and anything. If there was anyone that Kagami could say that they were really a saint, it would be Kuroko.

He actually talked with others about this. Riko suggested that it might be because Kuroko didn’t know if Kagami would be comfortable to talk about it or not since Kagami never brought it up. Kagami liked to think it was like that since the blue hair lad was too polite for his own good.

Kagami was thinking about the night photos that Kuroko would take. It would be nice if he could asked for Tsuchida’s help since he governed the soil in this forest. Izuki could help with the sky at night that would be a great him for taking photos at night as well.

Heavy footsteps dragged him out of his thought and Kagami whipped back to see a familiar face that he wished hadn’t appear after that incident. It was Fugaku. Still marred with scars that Kagami left for him in the fight. There were still marks that Kagami left for him at the back of his neck. He still looked unimpressed with what happened.

“I’m not going to talk to you unless you are here to say sorry.”

“Unless you plan to cut off your ears, Kagami, you’ll just have to listen to me,” Kagami was getting ready and on his toes. He didn’t know what Fugaku had up his sleeves.

“You are probably the only person in this whole forest who was still hell bent on getting rid of Kuroko,” he knew that there was still some were wary but he never knew that there was anyone who wanted Kuroko gone just like Fugaku.

“Humans can’t be trust!”

“And look at what he did for us! He is curing Kiyoshi for us!” he couldn’t think of what would happened if he hadn’t stopped Fugaku from attacking Kuroko back then. Kuroko would either died or would never return to this forest ever again. Kiyoshi would still be sick. And Kagami…Kagami would still hate that human part of him for the rest of his life.

“I wondered how long that would last. Because if he knew that the person that he was talking to was actually a man-eating animal, there was no way that he would come back,” Kagami shuddered. Because that could be true. Kuroko still thought that he was just another man from the downtown. He still didn’t know what kind of monster that Kagami were.

But Kagami was just half a monster. He was half the tiger…the same one that Kuroko called beautiful.

“I’m half human. There’s no way that I am denying that now.”

He couldn’t deny that part of him anymore. Not when being human could make a person smile, not when being human leaded him to making a good friend and helping the forest at the same time.

“Then choose Kagami! What you want to be? A human…or one of us?”

“I don’t have to choose. I know I’m both,” he didn’t even hesitate to answer. There was no choice to be make. He would have both or neither of them.

Fugaku snarled and stomped on his feet before running away like a child throwing a tantrum. There were echo of his roar across the forest. That ended everything that he and Fugaku may ever have…if there was actually anything between them. He knew that there was no way that he and Fugaku could ever reconciled again after this. It was sad that being friends with Kuroko meaning that he and Fugaku had to disagree. He always knew him to be a straight forward and a great guardian. He used to save Kagami when they had tough fights with the invading demons. But when it came to humans, Fugaku seems to lose control of every compulsion he had.

Kagami sighed loudly. Sometimes he wished that Kiyoshi could deal this instead of him. He wasn’t a good leader after all.

* * *

 

The night arrived and Kagami gave the signal to Kawahara when he saw Kuroko in the distance. They actually planned for something special for Kuroko tonight, the whole forest just wanted to say thank you to him for his kindness and his help. At least with this, they would be able to let him see their gratitude.

Kuroko carried more things that he usually brought in the daytime. Maybe this was why he didn’t take pictures at night so often. He laughed and went out to greet Kuroko.

“Maybe you should carry less stuff,” he took the largest bag that Kuroko was having trouble lifting it from the ground. Kagami wondered if the reason that Kuroko was much smaller was because he carried these heavy stuff all the time. The camera alone looked heavy enough. Kuroko muttered a thank you, feeling a lot lighter than before.

“The lighting would be a bit of trouble and I also brought the time lapse equipment. I want to take something special,” again, Kagami still had a hard time understand when Kuroko talked about all these humans things but he didn’t mind listening to them. All he knew was that Kuroko took pictures that looked quite beautiful and he was the one who lead Kuroko to those please (he was quite proud of that really).

Walking in Meiro at night was as confused as walking in Meiro for the first time. There was a little lighting as the moon light travelled to the forest floor. The trees in Meiro was quite thick after all. Kagami had to look back all the time to see if Kuroko was following. He noticed one thing as he was walking with Kuroko all the time was that it was easy to lose the sight of him. Kuroko was small. Yes, he was small compare to Kagami. And his footstep was just…so light that Kagami could barely notice the boy walking. There were times that Kagami lose the boy in the middle of the forest and had to rely on other spirits to help him as well.

Kagami readjusted the bag on his shoulder the extended his hand to the back. Kuroko started at it with confusion. Maybe he wasn’t being straightforward enough.

“It’s going to be harder walking at night. Especially for those who are still trying to get used to the path. Here, hold my hand,” it took Kuroko a few second before he actually took on the hand that Kagami offered.

Kagami could feel the coldness of Kuroko’s hand seeping into his. He seems to be the type that got cold so easily. He remember how Kuroko always wore extra scarf on cold days. The air was cold enough to draw mist as they breathe. He slowly guide Kuroko through the dark path.

“It’s not that far. Actually it’s the same place we’ve been but I just want you to see it at night, ” Kagami looked back and stopped for a moment. Even under the moonlight what he saw was quite clear, Kuroko was blushing and didn’t want to look at him in the eye. He wondered if it was from the cold. It was quite chilly at night after all.

He slowed down the pace as they were about to reach Kiyoshi’s tree. He wanted the moment to be a surprise for Kuroko. Up until now, all Kuroko see was a dark forest at night, he wanted Kuroko to see the dreamland that Meiro could be.

Kuroko’s gasp as he saw the scene in front of him was something that he wished for. With Everyone’s help, they gathered all the fireflies to Kiyoshi’s tree and lit up the tree like the little stars in the sky. Kuroko was so lost in the moment that he didn’t even bother to bring out his camera yet.

The fireflies of Meiro forest was the thing that lulled him to sleep on his trouble nights. First when he was still lost and just arrived at Meiro. Second time when he first turned into what he was now. They are just bugs…but at night, they were the little fairies that enchanted this forest. The little stars of Meiro.

“K-Kagami-kun…They are beautiful,” Kuroko breathed. He couldn’t move, only stare. Kuroko reached out his finger and one little firefly landed on his finger.

“You better start your thing. They are here only at night,” he wasn’t sure if Kuroko heard that or not because Kuroko was still busy with the little bug on his hand. He chuckled as the little bug flew away. Kuroko hardly laughed. Kagami saw Kuroko’s smiled but not laughing that much. He couldn’t help but feel how Kuroko’s laughed sounded so special.

“I think that I made the right choice today,” Kuroko started to set up the camera with Kagami’s help. Working with Kuroko taught him a few about the weird devices humans use. The stick with three legs were used instead of hands to hold the camera and Kuroko didn’t walked around to take the picture this time. He asked for Kagami to stay behind and let the camera “took the picture over the time”.

“I promise you, it will look amazing,” Kuroko said as he sat beside Kagami, looking at the fireflies doing their magic. Kagami didn’t know why but he enjoyed the little moment of silent between them. It was simply them enjoying each other’s presence. He wondered how long this would last.

He wondered if Kuroko would still come here if he knew the truth. He wondered how Kuroko would take it if he knew what Kagami really was…or what this forest really was. Would he ran away the moment Kagami told him or would he stayed. Kagami knew that Kuroko was kind but there was always the extent of a human’s kindness.

“Hey Kuroko,” Kagami asked. He looked at the timer in Kuroko’s hand. He still have some time left, “Do you believe in…spirits?”

What a stupid question to ask, Kagami thought. The boy always prayed to the forest for passage and safety of course he does believe in it.

“It’s more than just believe, Kagami-kun. I truly think that they exist.”

“Then…have you met one?”

“…I’d like to think that I did. Even if I did not see them Kagami-kun.”

The timer on Kuroko’s device sounded. Kuroko’s picture was done. He was about to get the camera but Kagami asked him one last question.

“Do you think that they are scary? I mean compare to the wild animals?”

Kuroko stopped in his path, thinking for the best way to answer. Kagami didn’t even dare to look at him, afraid of the little fear that he might be able to see in Kuroko’s eyes.

“No Kagami-kun. I tend to think that humans are the scariest of them all.”

Kuroko motioned him to the camera to see the finish product. Kagami didn’t know what human consider ‘art’ or beautiful. Anyone could walk into Meiro and just see a forest. Some would see a canvas. But Kuroko, Kuroko didn’t just see a beautiful picture, he painted it as well. Some of the fireflies looked like a strong of light and Kagami could trail his eyes over where they flew. It was like a fluorescence map of little bugs.

“It’s wonderful,” Kagami commented. He truly meant it and Kuroko could sense the sincerity in his voice.

“I couldn’t do this without you Kagami-kun.”

The cloud above them moved and the moon the shone through that moment was a bit brighter. Kuroko’s hair shone at night as bright as the fireflies. And with that smile on his face, Kagami felt like he his breath for cut short.

“L-let’s go to another place. You got what you needed right?” if this continued, they wouldn’t get all the pictures.

“Ah, right. I’ll-” a loud monstrous roar interrupted them. Kagami knew that sound and Kuroko…dear Kuroko never looked so scared in his life. Both of them remembered that sound. It was the sound of Fugaku in his bear form.

“K-Kagami-kun!” Kuroko started to pack his camera as fast as he could in the dark. Kagami knew that Kuroko cared about his work, but he wouldn’t make it out in time if Kuroko didn’t start running now.

“Don’t! Just leave it. Get out of here first!”

“But-“

“No! Goddammit. You can always come back just run!” Kagami grabbed on Kuroko’s and lead him to the exit…only to be surprised by a giant paw right in his face. It knocked him away from Kuroko and right to the nearest tree.

“Kagami-kun!” Kuroko exclaimed and tried to run to Kagami. Fugaku wouldn’t let that happened. He came between them and bared his teeth. No, Kagami was never Fugaku’s target, it was Kuroko all alone.

Still dazed from the impact, Kagami could only looked as Kuroko backed up a little by little in fear. He needed to transform…but that would meant that Kuroko would know what he was. He didn’t want that. He wanted to always be that mysterious guide that Kuroko would meet every time he came here. He still wanted to be someone in Kuroko’s life and not his nightmare.

“Please no…”

He could hear Kuroko’s little whimper. He was scared for his life. It was the moment that Kagami asked himself. What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of losing his friendship with Kuroko?

Or was he afraid of losing him?

Another roar echoed through the forest that night. What stood behind Fugaku was no longer a human but another giant animal. A tiger with crimson eyes.

Fugaku’s attention went back to Kagami. This time, they knew that it would be the end. If Fugaku insisted this, he had no choice.

Two of them circled around like two samurai waiting for another to reach for their sword. None of them blinked. A small step…and Kagami was the first who lunged towards the opponent. If it was the speed, Kagami always had the upper hand. The first bite went to the same spot, Fugaku’s neck.

Of course Fugaku knew. Even if he managed to get the first bite, Fugaku’s giant claw wasn’t something that could be ignore. It was a wrestling of speed and power over another. Through it all, he could hear the cries of other spirits, telling them to snap out of it and stopped. He could even hear Kiyoshi faintly. Even if he was getting better, he still wasn’t at his full strength and there was nothing that Kiyoshi could do as he watched both of his children tumbled on the ground in a huge fight.

Many already knew the result. This wasn’t Fugaku and Kagami’s first fight.

Kagami threw Fugaku to the ground forcefully and crushed his windpipe with his jaw. The bear was struggling and tried to get him off. One of the claw dun into Kagami’s back but the tiger still wouldn’t let go. He could feel the breath starting to thin out for the bear. This was it.

“Kagami-kun stop!”

The uncontrollable rage that he felt before seems to vanish the moment. In the crowd of voices that bombarded him, this one came through. Maybe he was too shocked that that didn’t even know that he let Fugaku go. He couldn’t remember the bear running away from him and disappeared.

But he did remember turning back to see Kuroko…looking so terrified. He could see the image of himself reflecting in Kuroko’s eyes.

Oh what had he done.

The fur and stripes were gone in a moment, replaced with skin and fabrics. He still stood there, didn’t know what to do. What can you say to someone who just saw you transformed into a giant tiger and almost killed a bear?

“Kuroko…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

Kuroko walked right up to him and examined the gash on his head and a wound on his back. Unfazed by what he had just seen earlier.

“We needed to get your wound treated Kagami-kun! These look bad,” he even pulled out a small piece of cloth from his pocket and dapped it on his forehead, “I have first aid kit with me. Maybe I could temporary patch you up.”

“Ah…these will heal overnight really. W-wait! Are you sure that this is how you react?!” right now, Kagami felt like the one who was really confused was himself. Kuroko, who he thought would have panicked and ran away, was somehow in total control of the situation.

“Of course Kagami-kun. You just had a fight with a giant bear and is wounded. Here, let me just wash the blood,” Kuroko was about to reach for the head wound again but Kagami stepped back.

This came out much different than he planned.

“You…you don’t find it weird? I just transformed into a wild animal. I just fought with another wild animal and then I transformed back into a human. You’re…not even going to say anything about that?”

Kuroko looked at Kagami with that same unreadable expression on his face. He put down the first aid kit and went for his bag where his fished out a small piece of paper. It was a photo to be exact. Kagami remembered this, it was from that other weird camera that Kuroko also had, the one that gave the photo in paper right away.

“I would have. I might have asked you what you are. I might have asked how you could actually switch between human and a tiger. But Kagami-kun, all these times you have been kind to me. Running away would never been one of them,” Kuroko handed the small photo to Kagami. Even under the moon light, the picture was clear. A picture of a tiger.

He remembered this. This was the photo Kuroko took when he turned his back on him. Kuroko took this before he depart to Tokyo.

“I’ve known what you are for a long time. I know that you probably don’t want to talk about it.”

It made sense now. Why Kuroko never asked him about his home, his origin or even his job. Why Kuroko offered to be the one who purchase Kiyoshi’s medicine. Why he had always been very understanding no matter how Kagami tried to keep him at an arm length.

“You knew about me. All these times you are never afraid of me?”

Kuroko smiled again. He didn’t even answered yet but Kagami never felt so light hearted when he saw Kuroko smiled, knowing what he was.

“Kagami-kun, you are not scary. At least to me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Polaroid or Instant camera has a long belief in popular culture that it was the easiest way to capture spirits. You can see the game Fatal Frame or the film called Shutter (I prefer the Thai version haha) for the theme. So yes surprise :D Kuroko knew it all along.


	7. People like me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami showed Kuroko his world. It was the time Kuroko showed Kagami his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you very much for all the reviews, Kudos and bookmark! Even the ones that actually send to me privately. I really appreciate all of it. This is the story that I got the most respond to ever since I wrote fics and I really appreciate all the comments.

Kuroko didn’t took more pictures that night. Instead, they sat by the root of Kiyoshi’s tree and talk. Kagami told Kuroko about his life story, how he was once a cub that was smuggled from other country and ended up in the forest. Even if he told Kuroko what happened to him before, Kagami told him again about how he then became a forest spirit after he attacked humans. He also told Kuroko that this forest have others spirits living in it as well. Kuroko didn’t looked scared or trying to moving away from him, not even after he told Kuroko how he killed those humans.

“Kagami-kun, I know that you are a tiger. You are not a domestic cat. Of course you will attack people who invaded your home.”

“But I killed your kind!”

“And you also saved them…at least you saved me, twice. And I am eternally grateful for it,” Kagami couldn’t understand Kuroko. Was he really a human or was he also other kind of holy spirits in disguised? He never met someone so forgiving aside from Kiyoshi himself.

“So how did you get the name _Kagami Taiga_?” Kagami almost laughed. Of course Kuroko would ask about that. It was such a fitting yet a very strange name indeed.

“Riko, one of the forest spirits here named me Kagami. You actually met her. She’s the one who control the butterflies in your pictures. She said that the stripes on my body reminds her of dancing flames. The one who gave me Taiga was actually Himuro Tatsuya. He’s a dragon.”

“That is really amazing! I did not know that dragons actually live in this forest,” Kuroko felt like he was living in a fantasy story, knowing that these spirits existed. They were no longer the characters in his favourite novels but rather a living being that he could made contact with them through Kagami. Meiro wasn’t just a forest anymore, it was truly the realm of the spirits.

“Actually he’s not a resident but more of a frequent visitor. Tatsuya live in the Northern sea but he often come here. He knows what I am when others convinced that I’m an overgrown cat.”

“Technically you are a big cat.”

“Well, at least I am not a normal cat. Tatsuya told everyone what I am and how I am not really from here. He gave me the name Taiga. Sometimes I think he has a poor taste,” Kuroko wished that he could meet this dragon. He seems to be more like a cool brother more than some fearsome dragon.

“How did you know that I’m…not really a human?” it was Kagami’s turn to ask Kuroko now.

“It was a hunch really. You are…quite weird,” Kagami groaned when he heard that. He thought that he already got his _human_ behavior right. That was what he got for not studying about them before mimicking them. “You seems to be in the forest all the time. I never saw you outside Meiro. I describe you to some of the people downtown and no one ever saw you.”

Kagami sheepishly scratched his head. There was no way he could imitate normal humans completely. He never thought that Kuroko could dig this deep to find his identity. He was lucky that the person that knew about him was someone like Kuroko. At least, he felt that he could trust Kuroko to keep his secret and also Meiro’s secret.

“Also…I remember your eyes”

“My…eyes?”

“There aren’t many people with that shade of crimson. Especially in this town,” in fact, the only person with red iris was Akashi, his friend. It wasn’t hard to put things together after all of the clues. The eyes were the last piece of puzzle that convinced him that the tiger and the man that helped him was the same person.

“And how did you know that…I’m not human? Or what am I?”

“I have friends who used to study these kind of things. He gave me advices. I use the instant camera and a film that he gave me. I just didn’t thought that it would work,” Midorima was the one that told him what Kagami might be. A spirit of the weretiger that was said to roam the forest and protect it. The funny thing was that this spirit wasn’t originated in Japan but rather in the far South East of Asia. They were dangerous and wild. Kuroko knew that, he saw how scary Kagami could be as he battled that giant bear. Yet, it seems that no one seems to tell him that the spirit could be gentle as well.

“…Then what am I?” Kagami asked him, “I don’t even really know what kind of…thing I am.”

 Kuroko was a bit surprised by that. Kagami looked a little lost as he looked at Kuroko, waiting for the answer. Kuroko couldn’t blamed him, it seems that the only thing that he knew about himself was from Himuro’s words. He never saw any other spirit of the same nature as he did. Never even saw another tiger like him.

“From what I know, you are not just a spirit but rather a mix of everything really. You are born from a tiger that…consume humans to the point that you starting to take their shape and their emotions,” Kuroko knew that the reason that Kagami turned into this creature was because he had killed humans and ate them. Midorima warned him and advised him to stay away. But there was something about Kagami Taiga that drawn him in. He wanted to know more about him.

“…So what Tatsuya said was correct.”

 He looked sad. Like he was hoping that he was something else and not this weretiger. Kuroko wondered if Kagami was hoping that he could turned back to just being a normal tiger. He looked as if he regret killing those humans. He would have as well. And now that he made friends with a human, maybe Kagami was wondering what could have happened if he didn’t killed those humans.

Kuroko wished that there was something that he could do to help easing the guilt from Kagami. There was no way that Kagami would have thought about that back then. He was a wild tiger, his instinct said to kill the intruders to his home. Now that he gained the mind of a human and the body of one, it was too late to go back. The only humans that he could talk to was Kuroko.

It was that simple thought that

“Kagami-kun, I know that this might have sound scary to you but…you showed me a lot of your world. I think that it’s not fair. Please let me show you mine as well.”

Kagami seems to be a little slow but then he finally realized what Kuroko was talking about. He immediately shook his head when he get what Kuroko was trying to say.

“There’s no way I can go down there.”

“Kagami-kun, you said that you want answers. But you would never find it if you are still in Meiro.”

“But I can’t leave Meiro! I am its-” Kagami stopped abburptly as if something stopped him. There was a light breeze blowing towards them even with the thick bush of the trees. Kuroko knew this atmosphere, it was the spirits talking. However, he wasn’t sure which one was talking. Was it the dragon that Kagami told him? The one named Riko? Or the giant tree behind them?

“I know but…what if I messed up?” Kagami answered to the wind before him. Kuroko wished that he could see them. Eyes of the mortals are so limited.

Kagami sighed and looked at Kuroko. It seems that whatever was talking to him actually managed to convinced some part of Kagami. He nodded but didn’t say a thing to Kuroko. Kuroko took that answer as a yes and smiled excitedly. He hoped that he was as good as guide as Kagami.

“Then let’s meet at the morning at the entrance. You don’t have to worry about the payment or anything. I want to do this for you after all the trouble you got into for saving me.”

* * *

 

Kuroko arrived at the entrance of the forest in the morning but didn’t see Kagami there. He wondered if Kagami had a chance of mind and decided not to come. It would be scary for him after all. This was going to be the first time he ever stepped out of this forest since he arrived here 50 years ago.

“Kagami-kun!” Kuroko called out for the tiger. He didn’t appear immediately like before. He became worried if Kagami still hadn’t healed from the wound fighting the bear last night. He sat on the ground of the entrance and waited. He trust that Kagami would at least appear and told him that he wouldn’t be going anymore. He trusted Kagami, but sometimes the tiger could also made him a bit warry.

“S-Sorry. I overslept!” just a few moment and he saw Kagami dashed out of the thickets of the wood. Leaves and small branches stuck into his mob of hair and his clothes were all messed up. Kuroko couldn’t help but laughed as he tried to make Kagami looked more presentable for walking downtown.

“Tigers are supposed to be early birds.”

“Shut up, I am part tiger,” Kuroko chuckled at the statement. He was glad that Kagami accepted that side of himself. That he was both human and tiger at the same time. He knew that Kagami had struggle to accept himself but he seems fine now.

Kuroko motioned for Kagami to sit on the bicycle that he rented from a shop. Kagami looked at the vehicle suspiciously as if he was expecting it to transform into something else.

“It will be a bit weird at first. You are going to feel like you can fall anytime but you won’t fall as long as you keep yourself balance.  It will be like balancing on a small branch but this one won’t break under your weight,” Kuroko sat on the seat at the front while Kagami was at the back. The moment that he took off his bike’s stand, he almost topped over because Kagami was way heavier than he expected. He tried to peddle but it seems as if the bike was being chained to a giant rock instead. Kuroko could felt the heat rising up his cheek from both embarrassment and from pushing himself so he could get the bike to at least move a bit.

“Erm…I think that I should be the one doing the…moving thing?” Kuroko put down his feel from the paddle and looked back at Kagami. Kuroko looked at Kagami warily. He was about to entrust himself to a tiger who was still in the process of learning how to be human. He doubt that learning to ride a bike could be done in a short moment.

“Kagami-kun, you never ride bicycle.”

“And you got the strength of a newly hatched sparrow,” Kuroko pouted at that comment. It wasn’t like he could just wrestle a bear like Kagami.

“I have good upper body strength,” even if he didn’t like the idea that much, Kuroko got up and let Kagami took over. He prayed that Kagami at least knew how peddle.

“Um…so you just push this thing forward right?” instead of peddling, Kagami just used his legs to pushed the bicycle forwards. Kuroko yelped as the bicycle moved and he held on to Kagami’s torso.

“No no, use the peddle! Please just put your foot on the –Watch out!” an incoming braches from a tree whipped past them.

“U-use the handle to control the direction!”

“What?! That thing I am holding is called a handle?!”

“Yes!”

They were going downhill. Kagami didn’t even need to peddle anymore as the bike was speeding down the lane accompanied by both of their yelling. It was a rock that stopped them. Kagami ran over a rock that threw off their balance and they crashed into the ground with Kuroko falling over Kagami. Both get little scrapes and bruises like little kids on their first ride. They both laid there for a good minute before Kuroko burst out laughing.

“I haven’t fell off the bike in years. It is a good feeling.”

Kagami, on the other hand, wasn’t really impressed with his first experience of using human’s vehicle.

“This is why you all have short life expectancy!”

They agreed to walk for the rest of their journey to the town. Kuroko added riding a bike to a list of things he needed to teach Kagami. Kagami seems to be uneasy, being out of the wood. He was so tense every time a person walked past him. Maybe it was because there were no trees he could hide and everything was just so bare compare to the thick forest like Meiro.

“Relax Kagami-kun. The more you tense the more noticeable you were.”

“I just…you all need to plant more trees. This place feel deserted.”

“Kagami-kun, this is one of the town with the most trees. You should have seen Tokyo,” and then Kuroko explained to Kagami about what a normal human town looked like. He told how the city he came from have buildings higher than any trees in Meiro. Kagami seems to concentrate to Kuroko’s voice and started to relax a little. He forgot about the other humans that seems to be surrounding him and only look at the places that Kuroko pointed to.

“And that one in Maji Burger, the place I got you those burgers,” Kuroko thought that he could see Kagami’s tiger ears visible at the mention of the burger. He seems to wait for Kuroko to lead him right into the restaurant and get him a burger.

“Not now, I want to show you to some other places first,” he swore that he could hear Kagami whined as they walked away from Maji burger. A rumble of the plane caught Kagami’s attention. He looked like he wanted to find the nearest bush and hide in it but at the same time he gave out a low growl.

“It’s not going to land anytime soon Kagami-kun,” even if the plane was out of their sight, Kagami was still frowning at the direction it headed.

“I always heard that over Meiro all the time. Never like it. Those are made by human right? Tatsuya told me.”

“Yes, we invented a lot of things. We can talk to people far away instantly. You saw my camera, it is a great invention. And that one that you just saw, is a plane. We can fly now,” Kuroko couldn’t wait to show Kagami a lot of things that humans used. He was sure that the tiger would be shocked by them but he hoped that Kagami would grew to be curious of them as well.

The place that Kuroko took Kagami to was a rescue site for a conservation group. Meiro wasn’t the only forest around there and animals were always captured to sell into the black market. Kuroko knew that none of the animals were from Meiro because no one really want to mess with it. The site now served as an educational attraction for people around the area about animal rescuing as well.

He could see how Kagami looked distraught as he saw the animals in the cage. For someone who grew up with animals roaming free in the forest, this was something that pained him.

“Kuroko…why are they in the box?”

“You told me once that you were smuggled from America. These animals are like you. They were illegally caught and was about to be traded off. Some were rescued from the people that hold them captive. We brought all of them here so that we can nurse them back to health and that hopefully one day, we can returned them to where they belong.”

Kagami walked to a cage where a Tucan was being held. Its feather were all dull and the wings were in weird shape as if it had never been used. He started to imagine what would happened to him if he didn’t fell of the car that day.

“They’re like me?” Kagami whispered as he looked at the other animals in their captivity. All of them had the same pattern. Some rich men bought them from somewhere and they were all badly treated. Each of them have profiles in front of their cage where Kuroko would read them to him where they all came from. There were some of them that came from the same place as Kagami did, America. There were something about the eyes of these animals that sadden Kuroko. Some looked like they had never seen the sun. Some cages were empty with their profile still in front of the cage. Kuroko would love to think that they were being freed and not died in captivity.

The last cage they visit made Kagami gasped. There in middle of the ironwork was a big orange cat with stripes that looked like dancing flames. A tiger just like Kagami. It was old for a tiger but still small from a full grown tiger. Laying in the sun, bathing the warmth with tiredness buried in its bone rather than laziness.

“A tiger? Like me?” Kagami asked as he walked closer to the cage, a bit more than what normal people would dare to be closer to. It must have felt so surreal for Kagami. This was the first time that he had seen a different tiger other than himself. There were no wild tigers in Japan. Kagami might knew that there are others like him out there but this was the first time that he actually saw it with his own eyes.

“Yes Kagami-kun, there are more of you out there.”

“More tigers like me…”

“I visited here once. To find out more about you. That’s why I want you to come here,” the tiger was smuggled from Sumatra, about to be sold to a wealthy man who wanted to keep it as a pet. But some miscommunication happened and the sent an old tiger instead of a young one. The rich man tossed the old tiger away, leaving the cargo in the back of a truck before they rescued it. It was too old and too sick to be sent back let alone to survive by itself in the wild. At least, behind this cage, it would be treated with care until the time claimed her.

“At least, she’ll be comfortable right?” Kagami asked Kuroko. The tiger was sleeping still, not having the strength to move much.

“Right…” it was the only thing that Kuroko could answer to him. He wanted to give Kagami at least a small amount of hope. The tiger didn’t look like it was going to move soon so Kuroko thought that it would be the time the moved on.

“Kuroko…what is _endangered_?”

Kuroko sometimes forgot this place was an educational attraction. He also forgot that while Kagami didn’t know what some of the words meant, he knew how to read them. Beside the tiger’s cage was a huge poster of why tigers became an endangered animal. The posters filled with pictures of tigers being killed, collections of tigers’ skin, their teeth and even their meat being used for medicine. And Kagami was staring at those pictures in horror.

“It…means that there are fewer of you left than it should have been.”

“We’re being killed? Is it because we are dangerous?”

No, there was no way a tiger could be dangerous when the other side weld weapons deadly to every other living things on earth. Claws and fangs could never win against the bullets and machines that they invented.

“Not really. You are hunted because they want you skin and your body parts.”

“B-But I don’t understand. You all invented great things. You told me you could build a home taller than any trees in Meiro. You can have all these things yet…why do you need to kill is when you can make them?!”

Kuroko couldn’t understand as well. He didn’t understand why kill such a majestic and beautiful animal just for something so trivia. He always saw those ads, about how others would feel if animals could speak their mind. One was standing right in front of him, and he was speaking his heart out. Kuroko didn’t need to imagine about it anymore.

“I don’t know Kagami-kun. But I promise you this,” Kuroko reached out for Kagami’s hands and grabbed it firmly. He wanted Kagami to trust in humanity or at least trust in him. “There are people who are working really hard to protect you. That is why place like this exist. I promise you that there are people who cared and that we are doing everything that we can to save your kind. Will you believe me?”

Kagami looked doubtful but he nodded. Kuroko knew why. He was still weary of how it will happen. He still doubt the humans that always came to his home to destroy for all his life. But that small nodded was something that Kuroko appreciated.

“I trust you.”

It was a simple answer yet it could make Kuroko smiled. A low purr made them turned their head to the cage. The sleeping tiger was now awoke and seems to take interest in Kagami who was at the front of the cage.

“She can see me. Animals can see my true form,” Kagami crouched down and held his hand towards the wall that held him and the tiger apart. Kuroko watched them having a conversation in a language that he couldn’t hear. He knew that they were communicating but it was in some form that he could never understand.

“She’s 22 years old. That’s quite long,” Kagami told him and Kuroko couldn’t help but crouched down beside him as well.

“She said that the humans saved her from another human. Just like how you told me…”

And then Kagami reached out to touch the dry nose of the old tiger as if he was finding comfort from her. The rest was a silent conversation between them, with Kuroko being their only witness.

 


	8. Enough for both of us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami knew that Kuroko is important to him. But just how much?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the prolonged hiatus from this story. I was using my extra time to complete the translation of the scanlation so I didn’t have much time for this one but I promise to not abandon it of course.

Kagami didn’t feel foreign when he looked at himself anymore. Whether it was when he was in the human or the tiger form. He knew now that he wasn’t alone. There were a few of him out there but at least he knew that he wasn’t alone. Perhaps one day, when he was brave enough or when Kiyoshi was well again, he would travel just like Himuro. Maybe there are more tiger spirits like him out there. He knew that there are tigers now but what about the spirits born from tigers like him? That was another thing that he wanted an answer.

If Kuroko was able to find out about what he was, then there must be more spirits just like him out there. Just like what everyone said, Kagami couldn’t just stay in the forest forever.

Right now, they didn’t spend that much time in the forest when Kuroko visit. Kuroko would tried to teach him more about the human worlds. He found out that Maji Burger tasted a lot better freshly cooked. And he didn’t know that there are many versions of it either. Kagami knew how to ride a bicycle. It was a bit weird how turning your feet in circle could make yourself moved. It was like he was swimming in the air. Kuroko showed him that humans didn’t only capture the scene in a box but can also made them moved.

And then Kuroko introduced him to a human game called “Basketball”. There was this orange stone…or what Kuroko called a “basketball” that could bounce like it had rabbit feet underneath it. And all you have to do was trying to get it into the basket that was too high for human to put it in. But not for Kagami.

So he just jumped and put the ball over the hole just like Kuroko explained to him. While Kuroko was making this confused face.

“Kagami-kun…that is pretty unusual for someone who never play basketball to dunk,” then Kuroko tried to show him how other humans who couldn’t jump get the ball into the basket. “Shooting” it was called. It was actually harder for him to shoot than just jump and put the ball into the hoop because sometimes he was doing it too hard and most of the time he didn’t aimed it correctly.

“How did you came up with things like this?”

“Out of boredom I guess. We humans can get bored quite easily so we create new things to please us, to make us happy,” and he had to admit, when the ball did get into the hoop, Kagami felt happy. When Kuroko went back, Kagami came out of the forest on his own and also practicing shooting the ball even if was just a short time. Sometimes, he would came out and hid himself as he watch the kids playing the game. It looked even more fun with more people in it. How did they all moved like they knew what to do? All they did was wave or called out each other’s name and the other person knew what to do. Sometimes they just pass sometimes they shoot or went passed the person blocking them.  

Kagami knew that he had to ask Kuroko this later when he came. Things about human didn’t made him became scared of wary any more. Actually it made Kagami became more curious. He started to take interest in what the humans were doing in their lives. They seems to be so different from each other more than he thought. Kuroko said that it was actually a very interesting hobby, human observation. It was actually one of Kuroko’s hobbies. Kagami didn’t know how Kuroko could watch people all day when he was a human as well.

“Sometimes we humans couldn’t understand each other either. We also need to watch others carefully,” if he didn’t know better he would say that Kuroko could mind read just like Kiyoshi. He was really good at knowing when people were lying or when they were trying to avoid something. He knew what makes human uncomfortable and how to press them. He knew that he couldn’t lie with Kuroko, not after he found out about what he was by himself.

Kuroko also gave him something that looked like a camera but wasn’t a camera. It was for capturing movements according to Kuroko.

“I think that it would be difficult for you to remember everything and then ask me later. Whenever you see something please record it and then show it to me.”

Learning about how to use human devices were harder than playing basketball. There were so many buttons to press, some new foreign words to learn so that he could operate properly. It took Kagami a few days to know how to actually use one. Kuroko also gave him spare energy blocks for the “video recorder” as well in case he wanted to record more. Being a spirit had its perks as no one can see him so he didn’t need to worry about being throw into jail for recording people.

Kagami didn’t use it in humans but rather recording what the people did on the basketball court. Sometimes, he just watch the scene over and over again because it looked so fun playing with a lot of people.

Unfortunately, Kuroko couldn’t spend all the time he had teaching Kagami about being human because he also need to get his work going. Kagami still enjoyed their working time because that was when he could teach Kuroko was it was like to live in this majestic forest as well.

“You’re as happy as usual. Well, as usual since Kuroko became your friend,” Furihata didn’t even need to wake him up anymore. Kagami already have his own internal clock of when Kuroko was going to come. Instead of everyone reminding him that Kuroko was coming, it Kagami that reminded everyone that Kuroko was coming.

“Well, Kuroko is a funny guy in his own way. He’s quite persistence and do everything he can in order to get what he wants. Kinda like me.”

“Sooo… you really like him?” he didn’t understand what Furihata was saying. He knew that Kagami like Kuroko what did he mean?

“I just said that.”

“No you cat brain, I mean do you like him as in someday you want to live with him?”

He and Kuroko knew each other for more than half a year now. Each time Kuroko visited him, they got closer and closer. He wouldn’t deny that the idea of seeing Kuroko every day and spending a lot of time with him was a nice idea. He loved how Kuroko taught him new things, seeing the human world in new light. But the most important thing of all was that Kuroko made Kagami accepted the human inside him. He didn’t know when did it started, this feeling where he knew how Kuroko was very important to him. He knew that talking with Furihata made the realization crash into him like a sudden big waves washing over the coast. He liked Kuroko, and much more than he first expected to. But was it enough for Kagami to leave this forest?

This forest had been Kagami’s home for more than 5 decades. And with Kiyoshi still vulnerable, there was no way that he could leave this forest. He couldn’t ask Kuroko to live in this forest either. This forest was no home for the humans.

What he knew was that he liked Kuroko. Perhaps more than he thought because recently all he could think was the time they spent together and when Kuroko was going to come again. Yet at the same time, he knew that there was no way he and Kuroko could really be together. Kagami was only half human. There was no way Kuroko would accept him as someone more than just friends.

“Furi, even if I do. What makes you think that I could be with him? I have my duties. He has his life. It’s already a wonder that we became friends. I don’t think that I can do another miracle.”

“This isn’t like you Kagami, you didn’t even try yet!”

“My minds is full of what I can do for this forest. I don’t have time to think about me and Kuroko. This is the most that I can give to him.”

He saw it before, how humans gave each other when they were in a relationship. He saw them hold hands, giving each other gifts, the lips touching another (Kuroko called it a “kiss”). He wasn’t sure that he could do those things for Kuroko. He had nothing to offer to Kuroko but only a tour in his forest.The more he learned about the humans, the more sure he was that he couldn’t be together with Kuroko.

“I can’t be what he needs from another human.”

“But you are also human, Kagami.”

Yes he was human, but only half of it.

* * *

 

“Are we going to the waterfall again today?” Kagami didn’t told Kuroko anything about today’s plan. Seeing Kuroko again reminded him of the conversation he had with Furihata. This was the best that he could do, even if it wasn’t enough.

“Nah, I’ll try something new. Since you introduced me to a bicycle which I’m still convinced that it is pretty mundane, I’m introducing you how we do it in Meiro.”

Kagami transformed into a giant tiger. He walked in front of Kuroko and sat down, tail pointing to his back. To be honest, he never tried this with anyone but a bunch of wild animals that decided to hitchhike him around Meiro.

“You want me…to get on?” Kagami rolled his eyes and crawled back a little closer to Kuroko. He couldn’t speak in this form unless Kuroko had ways of knowing what he was growling about.

“I’ve never rode an animal before. Not even a horse,” and Kagami never carry anything bigger than a monkey on his back. Kuroko getting on Kagami uneasily. There wasn’t any other equipment to help them. No reins, saddles or something to hold on because Kagami’s fur was short as well. Only pure trust bonded them together.

“Please go easy on me,” Kagami could feel the nervousness radiated from Kuroko. Yet at the same time, he couldn’t feel anything as close to fear. Kuroko trust him and he would never betray that trust.

“I will never let you fall,” Kagami wanted to said it but only a low growl came out from him. The first few moments was Kagami walking in fast pace, getting Kuroko used to the movements of how he moved. The pace then got quicker and the walk turned into a sprint.

The road on Meiro wasn’t the best. Kagami could felt Kuroko’s chest on his shoulder blades. He could felt the thundering beat of Kuroko’s heart as he raced through the thick woods. His paws moved at the same rhythm as Kuroko’s beat. He didn’t feel Kuroko on his back anymore, he could feel Kuroko racing beside him, running with him through the forest.

This time, Kagami took him to the higher ground, the mountain just behind Meiro. Climbing the steps of the mountain upward. Kuroko clung tighter as he jumped over the gaps or running a little faster. Sometimes he let out a little yelp when he suddenly jumped down, causing Kuroko to get that dropping feeling in his stomach.

Kagami came to a complete stop when he reached the top of a small peak, giving Kuroko the view of the whole Meiro. He sat down as Kuroko tried to get off his back, legs stiff from riding for so far.

“It’s so beautiful…” Kuroko stared at the view in front of him in awe. He didn’t have the time to snap a shot at he just sat beside Kagami and enjoy the windy weather up in the high land. Kagami’s tail curled around him, keeping him in place. This secret spot would be impossible for humans to reach by themselves. Kuroko was the first to stand here and Kagami was happy to bring him here. Kagami transformed back to being a human, joining Kuroko with sightseeing.

“Is this what you see every day?”

“Not really. I don’t come here often. Mostly when I feel like I need a windy air because Meiro can be quite humid in summer. The weather here is always nice. Sometimes when I’m down or need something to kick me back right into the path, I came here. Because this is where I can see the whole Meiro,” he did came here a lot when he was newly transformed to get away from the others. Now, he came here to remind himself why he was alive. He could have died when he was still a little cub. There must be a reason that he survived the smuggling, that he became more than just a tiger but now a forest guardian.

“I envy you. You always have the best view.”

“Well, I envy you as well. You humans could build so many things. I’m sure that there’s something much more spectacular than a forest.”

“Not to me,” Kagami was a bit startled when Kuroko said that. He didn’t know how Kuroko felt when he saw those thickets of trees down there. Kagami never thought of Meiro as anything special. It was just his home.

“Some people love the excitement that we can build something. I won’t lie and say I don’t like it. When we achieve something new, it is really exciting. But nature would always have a special place for me. It is where I truly found my peace,” Kuroko finally took out his camera and took a few pictures. Kagami hoped that it would be enough for Kuroko, taking him to the place that he loved.

But then Kuroko stopped taking pictures and looked at him. Kagami wondered if he needed to go to other places. Maybe this wasn’t the best view for Kuroko yet.

“Kagami-kun, can I take a picture of you?”

“Eh?” Kuroko only took pictures of the nature, why would he asked for Kagami?

“You need it for work?” Kagami didn’t know if he felt comfortable enough to let many people seeing an image of himself, human or not. He wasn’t ready for others to see it.

“No, it’s just a personal request. I just want to keep a picture of you as a memory. If you are uncomfortable-”

“No no, it’s fine. Totally fine. I’m just not good with myself as a display picture,” Kagami held up his hand in defense. But even if it was just Kuroko keeping it, he felt a little flustered thinking about it. What did Kuroko thought when he was looking at Kagami’s picture? Kagami would never know.

Kagami tried to smoothen his hair or at least tried to make it a little less wild and more like a human (perhaps his tiger fur was even less wild). At least it looked presentable as human. He knew that he couldn’t be as good looking as other humans out there, but at least he hoped that he could make an impression for Kuroko.

He felt a little nervous when he knew that there was a camera aiming for him. He was even tenser than Kuroko riding him a few moments ago. Kuroko couldn’t help but also smiled when he saw Kagami looking at the camera with such tension.

“Please smile Kagami-kun. It’s just a photo.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re the one holding the camera!”

“Do you need a toy to look at Kagami-kun?”

“What?” The flash came and Kagami didn’t even have time to get ready. Looking at the bright light directly was like looking at the sun. His eyes got a little blurry from the blinding light. The picture of him must have been so funny because he didn’t even smile.

“I thought you want me to smile!”

“I think that your smile is still awkward. Maybe next time, when you know to smile properly in front of a camera,” Kuroko chuckled as he showed Kagami the picture that he took. Kagami looked lost in the picture.

“You always look so confused all the time.”

“I’m not!” to be honest he looked a little funny and that made Kagami wanted to laugh at himself as well.

Kuroko continue to walk around the area and doing his job under Kagami watch. They had the usual burger on site, eating as Kagami showed Kuroko his video collection. Asking Kuroko what were the things that he saw. Kuroko said that there were many other ways to play basketball and that he would bring the video of his friend, Aomine Daiki, playing basketball for Kagami to watch. Apparently he was really famous and making a living from playing basketball. Humans can do pretty interesting things for living.

“Why didn’t you play it like him? I’m sure that it’s a much more interesting thing to do every day,” Kagami couldn’t understand why wouldn’t Kuroko follow his friends. From what he knew, Kuroko loved basketball so much as well. He knew a lot about it, loved to talk about it and played it with him.

“I play basketball because it is fun. But I don’t think that playing it as a career suits me. I’m harder a good player compare to others out there. Even if I’m not in the world league, I’m still happy because I’m still able to play basketball. Besides, I love photography as well. I didn’t lose any of the things I love. Some people didn’t have that privilege,” Kagami couldn’t imagine how hard the choice would be choosing between things that you love.

“I was able to meet you because of this. I’m glad that I choose this, glad that I met you, Kagami-kun.”

Kuroko looked at him with such gratitude in his eyes. It was as if the blue sky and the blue color of Kuroko’s hair and eyes blended in together. Kuroko shone like the summer sky in the morning and glow liked the moon in the night. Kagami could agree that Kuroko was probably one of the most beautiful human he had ever seen. Even more beautiful than some of the spirits he met.

“Me too. I’m able to accept myself, learn about what I am because of you. I have to thank you for that as well,” without Kuroko, he wouldn’t open himself to anything else outside Meiro. He wouldn’t be able to taste his first burger, walked outside Meiro, meet another tiger or play basketball. He also might not be able to feel this emotion where humans called “love”, the feeling that he wasn’t sure if Kuroko also had for him.

You are important to me, Kagami wanted to say. He didn’t know how Kuroko would take it. He would rather not say than prepare himself for the worse. Opening up himself and talking about his feelings was still something that he had to learn. He just wished that at least, he was able to say it before it was too late. Even if he and Kuroko may not end up together, he wished that at least, he was able to say what matters to him.

* * *

Kuroko looked at the picture of Kagami that he took as he rode the train back to Tokyo. It was so Kagami really, looking so confused, so lost with everything. He wished that there was some day that he could take a picture of Kagami smiling at his camera.

Kuroko slowly realized for some time now. He was so happy every time that he was able to visit Meiro. He wanted to show everything his world with Kagami. It started it trying to give back what he owe Kagami, his life. And then, he did it because he knew that someone like Kagami deserve it. Kagami deserved to know who he was.

But lately, Kuroko did it because it also made him happy. It was like a slow thawing of winter snow. Slowly, but steadily, something bloomed from within.  A special feeling that he hardly feel for anyone but he was sure that it already started with each time he saw Kagami’s ruby eyes. He started to fall in love with the tiger.

He wasn’t sure how Kagami felt about him. He knew that Kagami was happy to spend his time with him. But Kuroko wondered if it could be the same thing. Kagami wasn’t like other humans, he was half tiger and also a forest spirit. Would human emotions worked the same way with him?

Kuroko didn’t know what to say. Usually he was good with words but when it came to things like this, nothing could save him. Kuroko could give nothing for Kagami. He was just a normal human stubble into Kagami’s humble home and befriend him. The most that he could do was helping Kagmai curing Kiyoshi and teaching Kagami about how to be a human.  He was glad that Kagami took a liking in basketball. Playing basketball with Kagami was one of the best thing they did together.

Kuroko hoped that it would be enough. He hoped that at least with this, Kuroko would be able to convey Kagami his feelings, his love. Because Kuroko was a human and he have no idea what he could give to the other half of Kagami. 


	9. The forest with no stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meiro sparkled with life and beauty every night. But not tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can’t thank everyone enough for all the reception that I got. I’m really flattered and happy with all the kind words and comments about the fic. I just want to explained first that I have two main arc for this story, the first one is Kiyoshi’s Tree and the second on is Himuro’s arc. We are now at the last part of the first arc now. I want to thank you everyone who has stick to the story this far. With all the love :D
> 
> Beta by my very good friend [wingroad](http://tmblr.co/mQlsqokCAu_xn41fjM5dU2Q)

Another month passed, another visit came. Kuroko asked Kagami for another back ride because he wanted to experience that amazing feeling again. He felt like he was flying even if he was still just on the  ground. In the end, they went for a longer ride than they expected. Not that Kuroko really wanted Kagami to stop. He even took a great picture while riding, which almost caused him to fell off Kagami’s back. He ended up being scolded by Kagami for doing something so dangerous, while he was running with Kuroko on his back.

It was nice to hear Kuroko laugh. When Kagami was at his full speed, Kuroko would straighten himself out and spread his arms like he was spreading his wings. Kagami made him fly and let him feel the wind. For a moment, Kuroko was a little bird chasing the current with his tiger.

“I told you, it’s way better than riding a bike,” Kagami entered the town with Kuroko. They just came out of the Meiro together. Kagami took Kuroko for another ride around the forest after they were done with the photos. It was a very enjoyable ride. Kagami got a good run and Kuroko got all the fun as he felt the wind rushing across his hair. It was like a super-fast rollercoaster ride with no seatbelts. It was very thrilling and quite fun at the same time.

“Too bad we cannot do this in the town. It would be fun,” Kagami was carrying Kuroko’s bag and equipment. Sometimes he wondered how Kuroko could get around at all with all of this heavy baggage. Kuroko took them from Kagami, ready to depart for the time.

“Travel safely. Thanks for the battery and also Kiyoshi’s medicine.”

“Any time.”

They stood there for a moment, unsure if it was the time to turn around and head their separate ways. Kuroko was the first to decide, and take the action. He put his bags on the ground and moved to hug Kagami. Kagami on the other hand, was surprised by this action. Was this the hug that you normally give others as a gesture of friendship or was it the one where you give it to people you consider as something more?

But he still wrapped his arms around Kuroko. Something told him to do it.

“As always, thank you for everything. I never thought that I would get to experience this in my life,” Kuroko said softly. His voice was muffled by Kagami’s clothes. Kagami could feel the vibrations of the syllables through his skin.

“Me too. You showed me the world outside of the forest. Thank you Kuroko.”

A lot of gratitude was shared during their time together since their first meeting but both were still very thankful. Kuroko felt so warm in Kagami’s arms; so small. The touch of their skin also felt very nice He wondered if this was what humans felt all the time when they were together with the people they loved.

“I have to go now. I’ll come back next month,” Kuroko’s hand slid from this back to his arms, before they completely left him. It would be another month before Kagami got to see him again. Months before, time would fly very fast, but now the time stretched for very long until they would meet again.  Waiting for that day to come was the worst.

* * *

“I’ll be waiting.”

Kuroko looked back every few steps he took to see Kagami still standing there and  watching him leave. They haven’t said anything about their feelings. Both were afraid to say anything,  fear holding them back. The uncertain future that laid between them was scary. What would happened if they both knew about their feelings, the affection they had for the other? Kagami thoughts that waiting wasn’t the worse part. Not knowing when the waiting would end  _was_  the worst part.

Meiro was so quiet at night. Kiyoshi told him that before the humans named it Meiro, it was called “Forest of the Stars” because the fireflies at night looked like stars against the night sky. He wished that they kept that name instead of Meiro.

He thought back on the night  he and Kuroko did the night photography together. It was the night that he revealed his true form for Kuroko to see. The night where Kagami really thought that it was the  _true_  start of their friendship.

“Humans are so strange,” Kagami mumbled as he reached out his hands into the stars above, thinking about the human that changed his life forever.

“And now I fall for you,” he didn’t regret it either. If anything, Kagami felt happy. He wondered if it was possible for him and Kuroko to be together despite the fact that he and Kuroko weren’t exactly  _meant_  to be together.

“Then you should have said something,” he could hear Kiyoshi’s sound rumbling from afar. Damn telepathy. It was necessary for Kiyoshi to have that power really. He was the lord of the forest after all.

“I can’t. I’m not a real human,” not only Furihata was now bugging him about this but it seems that others were trying to get involved with his problems. They knew exactly  _why_  he had to stay.

“But you are human enough for him. And you know that he likes you. Everyone can see it. At this point, you both will keep on waiting forever. And Kuroko doesn’t  _have_  forever,” and  _that_  was a painfu reminder. Unlike him, Kuroko didn’t have the gift of immortality. Someday, Kuroko would stop waiting and Kagami would become only a bittersweet memory for him.

“I know  _what_  I should do. I just don’t know  _if_  it is the right thing.”

“Kagami,  _we_  are the ones who decide what is right and proper. What you think might be wrong can be right in other people’s eyes. The only thing you have to think of, is if whether what you do will make Kuroko  _and_  you happy.”

“What about all of you?”

The forest became silent. He could no longer hear Kiyoshi’s voice. Maybe he was thinking what to answer. But then he heard the flutter of Furihata’s and Kawahara’s wings coming towards him. They looked alarmed as if something bad was happening.

“Hanamiya came back!”

Furihata spoke even before Kagami could ask what was going on. Anger bubbled up inside Kagami like slowly boiling water. Hatred welled up like the air bubbles resurfacing with the heat. How dare that bastard came back?

“Where’s he?”

“West entrance. Everyone’s going there,” Kagami went on full sprint after Furihata was finished.  

Hanamiya, or rather Hanamiya and his band of merry demons, were the number one public enemy of Meiro. It started before Kagami was even a member of this forest. Hanamiya and his group came to Meiro  and asked for a sanctuary. Kiyoshi, being the kind and generous lord, welcomed Hanamiya without questioning. At first, Hanamiya was behaving. He played the part of a good and well-behaved guest. But then the attacks happened. Animals and spirits alike had been ambushed by unknown predators, leaving gashes and wounds. It didn’t take long before Hyuuga caught Hanamiya in the act. Ever since, he never entered the forest again.

Kagami never faced Hanamiya himself but listening to the story of how Hanamiya once hurt his home made him angry. He wasn’t sure how the others managed to drive Hanamiya away the last time but he was sure that this time, he wouldn’t just let Hanamiya go.

Hyuuga and Izuki were already at the entrance, glaring at the group of people out in the open. Even if he had never seen Hanamiya before, he could tell right away which one was him. That pale, smirking demon standing in the middle with glossy, black hair. Even his smile disgusted Kagami.

Hanamiya Makoto, the flower demon born from the _Jubokko,_ the tree that feeds on human blood. What a despicable creature.

“Wow, I didn’t know that I was  _that_  important to receive such a grand welcome party. Still taking in members I believe?” Hanamiya’s words were as if a serpent decided to speak.

“Turn around now, and I’ll let you leave,” Hyuuga growled and the whole forest rumbled along with him. Kagami saw this for the first time. The energy emitted by everyone in the forest was intense. He could subconsciously feel the old wounds and hurt inflicted by the demon.

“The last time I stood here you acted differently.”

“The last time you stood there I didn’t know what you were going to do,” even Riko, who was always so calm when it came to those kind of situation seemed restless. Kagami didn’t know how powerful Hanamiya was but he couldn’t be more powerful than _everyone_  in the forest.

The demon didn’t say anything after that. In fact, he seemed to be scanning the crowd in front of him. He was looking for someone among them. His eyes never settled on anyone and the more he looked, the more he smirked.

“I guess that Kiyoshi isn’t here?” Kagami could felt his heart constricting a little when Kiyoshi was mentioned. They wouldn’t let a recovering Kiyoshi face someone like Hanamiya.

“He doesn’t need to see you. We’ll deal with you instead,” he said. Hanamiya looked at him and laughed.

“Deal with me? You’re still young. So full of hope and spirit. Keep that spirit up little kitten, I would love to see it break one day,” and just like that everyone in the forest took a step forward. Claws, fangs and anything sharp was bared in defense of Hanamiya’s threat. But Hanamiya only laughed harder.

“I love it when I can light that spark of anger in others. But don’t worry. This time, I won’t do a thing to you. I just wanted to see if I had any effect on you after last time and from what I see today, it’s working perfectly,” Hanamiya stepped back and was about to leave. Everyone was relieved but some of the creatures were still trying to figure out what he meant. If Hanamiya was going to leave just like that, while looking satisfied then something bad was about to happen.

“What do mean ‘had any effect’ on us? That we hate you?” Izuki retorted back. It was the only way to get Hanamiya talking. And he loved to talk a lot when it came to things that could make others angry.

“You fools, if you think that I can feel satisfied just by making others hate me then you are wrong,” Kagami always trusted his instinct and they were telling him that something was wrong with this visit . He wasn’t here to cause trouble but rather to observe.

“Tell me, you really think that some mere human medicine is going to cure Kiyoshi?” Kagami could feel his innards dropping down. How did Hanamiya knew about Kiyoshi’s infected root? Hanamiya was already long gone before Kagami came, before Kiyoshi was being cut by the humans.

Unless…

“It’s a useless and a stupid effort…not when the infection was created by demon,” all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together,  as they all realized what happened. It was the humans that injured Kiyoshi but it was  _Hanamiya_  that infected the wound. He was the one who released the infected spores to Meiro, trying to kill any weak trees and spread it across the forest. Hanamiya knew about Kiyoshi’s injury and took advantage of it.

“You…” Kagami growled, he was the first one to charge and ran towards the demon. But it was too late, Hanamiya was already trying to escape, and to make his way to terrorize others out there.

“Kagami, let it go!” Hyuuga called him back, “We have to find Kiyoshi now. If what Hanamiya said is true, then we should find another way to cure him.”

The battle didn’t even start and Kagami felt that he had already lost. It was a different kind of loss. They could lose Kiyoshi, the one that picked him up from some road and raised him. The person who welcomed him into his home.

“Dammit!”

Everyone raced back to the deep part of the forest. Kiyoshi was already showing sign that he was getting better. The medicine that he and Kuroko had been giving must be working in some way. Kiyoshi had been silent since the arrival of Hanamiya.

“Kiyoshi is the strongest of us, I’m sure that nothing bad is happening,” Koganei tried to offer some comfort but it didn’t make anyone feel any better.

They reached Kiyoshi’s tree but there was still no sign of him. The infection on the root still looked the same, unchanged and stable. Hyuuga, Riko and Izuki called out for their leader but he was still nowhere to be found.

“Kiyoshi! You idiot where are you, we need to talk!”

The forest was never this silent. The warmth radiating from the tree was gone. Instead, the area around it was cold and damp, something that was never present in Meiro before. Instead, there was a foreign presence that definitely wasn’t Kiyoshi. But who could it be other than their lord?

“Kiyoshi?” Hyuuga tried again when he felt the presence moving closer to them. They saw someone stepping out from behind the trees. He was clearly wearing Kiyoshi’s clothes and looked like him but at the same time, what was in front of them was defiantly  _not_ Kiyoshi they knew.

The ground of Meiro shook as the branches of the tree swung and hit Hyuuga with their full force. Hyuuga’s back was slammed against the nearest boulder. He was completely taken by surprise by the assault. How could they predict this? They never thought that the person that had protected them would hurt them one day.

Everyone was still shocked at what just happened, their legs were unable to find their footing. The infection didn’t just infect Kiyoshi’s tree, it infected Kiyoshi as well.

“Kiyoshi get a grip on yourself! Don’t you recognize us!?” Izuki stepped between Hyuuga and Kiyoshi, which was easily overlooked. Izuki was torn between fighting back and doing nothing. This was Kiyoshi they all loved and cherished, the person who was the center of their home. No one wanted to hurt him.

“Teppei please!” Riko tried to reason and was about to get attacked as well when Mitobe pushed her away and took her place. Kiyoshi could no longer hear the cries of the people who shared a home with him. Kagami wasn’t sure if there was any part left that was really him .

“Kiyoshi please!” Kagami tried to hold Kiyoshi back and stop him from attacking the others. Kiyoshi felt like acid. Kagami could feel the burning sensation creeping up as he touched him. He couldn’t hold him for long and had to let go.

Kiyoshi was the strongest of them all, and now he didn’t use his strength to protect the forest. Some of the lesser spirits knew that the effort to bring Kiyoshi back was useless and started to run. Some still stood strong in hope that maybe, if they called out long enough Kiyoshi would come back.

“Kiyoshi we need you! Please come back!” Kagami could feel his throat burning already as he tried again and again to stop Kiyoshi from destroying his own home and killing those who were once a family.

But their words fell on deaf ears.. The lord of Meiro stayed silent and did nothing but relentlessly assaulted the other guardians who stood in the way of carnage. The trees and the soil were in Kiyoshi’s command. The infection started to spread among the others just like when Ogiwara once warned him, but in a much quicker pace for it to be a natural occurrence. Hanamiya was waiting for this moment, to make the heart of the forest the ground of disease.

The guardians that once protected the forest from harm were now protecting themselves and others from their own home. From branches and canopies raining on them, smashing them into the ground or throwing them into trunks.  In the middle, was Kiyoshi standing still and unresponsive to everything.

“Kagami! This is not working! We need more help!” Hyuuga was already in bad shape going up against Kiyoshi. Kagami wasn’t looking that great either. At this rate, the forest would be destroyed overnight.

“What do you want me to do?!”

“Get out of here and get us help!” Kagami was very sure that if there was anyone who could convince others to help it wasn’t him. He wasn’t the most diplomatic or the smoothest talker. That was Riko’s job and not his.

“I can’t just leave you! And I’m bad at getting help!”

“You think we can talk to humans?!” that caught Kagami a little off guard. He almost didn’t dodge one flying boulders coming his way.

“Listen,” Hyuuga pulled Kagami out of the fray and looked at him intensely, “There’re only two things that can stop someone like Kiyoshi right now, a stronger spirit or a human exorcist. Right now, I can only see one option because I don’t think that we know anyone strong enough to take on Kiyoshi in this state.”

“But I don’t know any exorcists,” he never faced a human who could kill spirits and he never wanted to meet one any time soon. But it looked like he had no choice.

“No, but you know one human who can help you. Now go!”

Hyuuga shoved Kagami out of the way as another wave of dark aura came and knocked him backwards. He stumbled down, one knee  already on the ground. Yet he stared at Kagami, shouting for him to go.

“Kagami, right now Meiro’s fate rests on your shoulders! You need to leave now or we will all die by the  Kiyoshi’s hands! Now run!”

Kagami glanced back one more time before he took off. He didn’t have time to wonder how was he going to find Kuroko or if he would make it back in time. He didn’t have time to wonder if Kuroko could actually help him. Right now, all he knew was that if he did nothing, he would lose his home for good.

He could feel the shadows of the forest disappearing as he rushed out of the woods. The moonlight was clearer out there. The humans probably couldn’t hear it; the cries of the forest spirits as they were all dying one by one. But it was clear to Kagami, as if someone was screaming right next to him.

“How can I find him? I don’t know how to find him,” Kagami knew that Kuroko didn’t live in the town. He came here by train and that he lived in a city called Tokyo that was probably very far away. He had no money, nothing he could exchange for a ticket to Tokyo or much less the name of the place that Kuroko lived in.

“Taiga!” Kagami was never so glad to hear that voice. He didn’t know how Himuro always arrived at the right time but Kagami was thankful that he did. The icy dragon seemed to know what happened or at least knew that Meiro was no longer safe.

“Furihata told me what happened. What should we do?” Kagami knew nothing outside Meiro other than what Kuroko told him. But Himuro was different. Himuro knew all about the world out there more than anyone in Meiro.

“Tatsuya, please help. I need your help. I need to find Kuroko,” the dragon landed and Kagami jumped onto his back. How long was it since he got to ride on Himuro’s back?

“Where is he?”

“He said that he lives in Tokyo. I don’t know where.”

Not having his feet touching the ground made him a bit uneasy but not at all  unpleasant. Besides, all he could think about right now was the others trying to hold Kiyoshi back. Would they survive till the morning? Would his home still be there when they returned?

Kagami buried his head into the fur running along Himuro’s spine. This was the first time he started to doubt if he would have a home to return to. All the hope for him to save his home depended on one human. And it happened to be the human that he loved.

“Kuroko, help us. Please help us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jubokko (樹木子) A tree demon that was born from a tree in a battlefield. It soaked up the blood of dead soldiers and eventually became a demonic tree that live off other people’s blood.
> 
> I made Hanamiya a flower born from this demon tree.
> 
> The title was also based on a common reading of Seirin which means “Forest of stars”


	10. Into Tokyo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagami meets Kuroko again. But not in Meiro

Kagami remembered how Kuroko used to say that the buildings in the place where he lived called “Tokyo” were as tall as a mountain. Kagami didn’t believe him the first time that he heard about it. He knew that humans could build incredible things but to build something like that seemed impossible. But, as he arrived in Tokyo on Himuro’s back, a tall building that made him look like an ant was just in front of him. Everything in Tokyo seemed too metallic, so synthetic that Kagami wasn’t sure if it was a good thing because it seems so foreign compared to where he came from. Sure, he went into towns but this seemed to be a whole new world for the tiger spirit.

There were people walking on the ground. He couldn’t believe that this many people could live in one city. They were walking in lines, almost like how ants walked in their ant burrow. He never saw this many humans in one place. Himuro didn’t seems surprised by it, it wasn’t the first time that he came here.

“I hope that you know where your human is because I don’t think we can get him in time if we need to search the whole city,” Kagami didn’t know where Kuroko lived. And he also doubted that searching the whole city would lead him to Kuroko. The guy had the lowest of the low presence that even spirits like him could have a hard time finding.

“I-I don’t know.”

It was true. He was still confused with what just happened a few moments ago. It was half an hour since he came out of Meiro with Himuro. Being driven from his home by the person that adopted him. He couldn’t blame Kiyoshi. The infection took over the lord’s mind and he wasn’t himself. He didn’t even want to think about how Kiyoshi would feel after this was all over.

His mind was still clouded with worries and anxiety of what was happening back in Meiro right now. Kiyoshi was strong, if not, the strongest of them all. There was no way that anyone would have thechance against him in his berserk state.

“This is not an easy task Taiga. Why don’t we find someone who can see us and ask for their help?”

“I’m not sure they will help us at all,” the only human that Kagami trusted was Kuroko. He knew that he could make others see them but the only person that would understand and agree to help them without hesitation would be Kuroko.

“We are going to need some kind of lead or at least give me some place to begin.”

“Do all photographers stay in one place?” Kagami asked hopefully. Himuro gave a loud sigh because Kagami clearly knew nothing about humans and their culture.

“No Taiga. I’m sure that they all live separately.”

Kagami looked at the ground. The crowd that was swarming below them did not took notice of the two spirits above. None of them would knew about their home, their forest called Meiro or the turmoil caused by Hanamiya. If only he could find Kuroko….

A wisp of wind blew past them. It carried a mild sweet scent. It was the same scent that Kagami became familiar with.

“Tatsuya, you need to go lower,” it was the scent that Kuroko of Kuroko’s hair. The scent of the drink that Kuroko always brought for him. He knew this scent well because after Kuroko came into the forest, everything changed. His life has completely changed.

It could be anything. It could be the same restaurant that Kuroko took him in the town. But something told Kagami that he should trust this, he should trust his instinct and follow the only lead that he had, for now.

Kagami was thankful for Himuro because he doubted that he could find Kuroko by himself. The smell was getting more distinctive. The tall buildings started to get a little smaller although Himuro assured that he was still in Tokyo. There were less people but Kagami still had no sight of Kuroko. Tokyo was bigger than the town, far bigger than Meiro. Kagami wondered just how big this world really was.

“C’mon Kuroko…where are you?” Kagami looked around frantically. He knew that Kuroko was close. Something told him that Kuroko was close. He could feel Kuroko’s weak presence but he just couldn’t see him. His feline, sharp eyes searched for any moving shadow in the neighborhood yet none of them seemed to belong to Kuroko.

A dog barked and Kagami jumped out of his skin. He hated anything related to canines. Maybe it was because of his feline blood. He looked at where the sound came from just in case he needed Himuro to get away from it.

What he saw wasn’t just one huge dog but also a certain man with baby blue hair. Kuroko was walking his dog with two more people that Kagami didn’t recognize. Ogiwara wasn’t there, Kagami remembered that Ogiwara didn’t have blue or blonde hair. They were both much taller than Ogiwara. But Kagami didn’t care, what he cared about was that he had found Kuroko.

“Tatsuya, I’m going down!” Kagami didn’t even give Himuro time as he leaped off the dragon’s back. Quickly transforming into a human, he ran towards the savior that Meiro needed.

“Kuroko!” Kuroko looked shocked when he saw Kagami running towards him. Kagami, who rarely stepped out of Meiro was now in Tokyo and was looking for him. This couldn’t be a good sign at all. Nigou noticed the stranger coming towards them and barked at him in a greeting. Kagami, however, did not took it well. Anything canine and him could never get along. He backed away from Kuroko and his other friends when the dog tried to move forward.

“Kagami-kun?! What are you doing here?” both of them seemed to be unaware of the other two people standing beside Kuroko. Even Kuroko seemed to forgot everything.

“Erm Tetsu?”

“Who is this Kurokocchi? I didn’t know you had a new friend.”

Kuroko looked at Kagami’s arm which had a burn mark. It didn’t look like it was caused by fire but rather something acidic. Kuroko gave the leash to the blonde man and inspected the burn immediately. Kuroko knew that Kagami was a powerful spirit. If someone could hurt him this badly, then Meiro was in big trouble.

“Kagami-kun, your wounds,” Kuroko could hear his friends winced behind him as they, too, took notice of the wounds on Kagami’s arm.

“It’s fine. It hurts less than it looks. I just need your help…again. I don’t know anyone else that could help us.” Kagami looked worried. Kuroko had seem him in distress before when he was facing the giant bear. But this was different, Kagami looked desperate. Somehow Kuroko knew that something was wrong with Meiro.

“You sure you don’t want to go to a hospital first? That’s does looks new and trust me you don’t want to leave it untreated,” the blond hair guy was wincing when he saw the wound. “Did someone threw acid on you?!”

“I…don’t know what it is but I just need him, sorry!” Kagami tried to grab Kuroko’s hand and drag him away but that dog, that stupid dog was barking again.

“Gah! Get away you mutt! I need to talk to Kuroko!” the dog was not letting ho of his his leg and Kagami had to back away even more. Kuroko couldn’t help but chuckle a little before he handed the leash to his friend. He really was a big cat.

“Kagami-kun, what happened? I’ve never seen you get hurt like this before.”

“It’s Kiyoshi-sama, his infection took over him. It wasn’t just a normal kind of wood infection. It’s more than that. The infection is demonic and we didn’t see it until it was too late,” no medicine, even the human medicine could cure something that Hanamiya had inflicted upon Kiyoshi. They needed something that could deal with demons to help Kiyoshi.

“He started to go berserk and hurt everyone. They sent me here to get your help…or any help,” he didn’t even know where to start since Kuroko was the only one who really knew what was going on. He wasn’t sure if other humans would even believe him.

“Kagami-kun, I’m no priest and I don’t have any special powers that could help you,” Kagami knew this, Kuroko was just a normal human. Kagami couldn’t sense anything special from him at all. Kuroko was just an ordinary human. “But Kagami-kun, don’t give up yet. I will help you in every way that I can.”

He knew that he could fully trust Kuroko. Even if Kuroko didn’t have any kind of powers to defeat Hanamiya’s curse, he knew that Kuroko would find a way to help them. Kuroko looked back at the two very confused friends who had no idea what the hell both of them were talking about.

“I know you do Kuroko,” _you always do_ , Kagami thought. Who would have thought that the human that stepped into the forest months ago would be their savior today? Kagami always dedicated himself to protecting the forest, but he still couldn’t do what Kuroko was doing right now.

“Oi Tetsu. At least tell us what on earth is going on will you?” the dark-skinned man was grumbling from being left in the dark about what was going on. There was something about him that ticked Kagami off. Not because he was human, call it animal intuition. Maybe something inside Kagami knew that this guy and he would never get along.

“If there’s anything we can do don’t leave us alone Kurokocchi!” the guy with the shiny looking hair seems much friendlier. Both of them seemed to call Kuroko by a different name and it made him wonder if that made them closers friend of Kuroko.

“I apologize for being rude Kise-kun, Aomine-kun. This is my new friend, Kagami-kun. We befriended recently when I went to Meiro. He’s my guide.”

“Whoa! So he’s the person that saved you from a bear!” Kagami was surprised that Kuroko told his friends about him. This guy called Kise suddenly came over to him and looked at him from top to bottom, scrutinized every detail. Kagami couldn’t help and also stared back, much more intensely than he meant to because he honestly didn’t like people starring at him.

“He does have that ferocious look that could kill a bear, I’ll give him that. Not to mention that you have a great taste in-”

“Kise-kun, not now please,” suddenly he felt left out, having no idea what they were talking about. Kuroko suddenly jabbed Kise right in the ribs, the aggression that Kagami saw for the first time. The guy called Aomine was chuckling as Kise overdramatically yelled how much it hurt.

“Right now, we needed to find Midorima-kun because my friend needs help,” Kuroko motioned for Kagami to follow him. The two friends, while didn’t understand what their problem was, still followed Kuroko loyally. Kagami didn’t know how close Kuroko was to these two but he knew that they were probably as close to Kuroko as Ogiwara.

“Kuroko, who’s Midorima?” Kagami wondered if this person called Midorima was someone who was a priest that could help him. They were walking to an opening with illuminating signs. Kagami saw another version of this before in the town. It was what humans called a “bus” but Kagami never actually went on one before. He looked up to see Himuro hovering close by or as close as he could manage without bringing a cold chill over them.

“Oi Tetsu, mind telling us what the hell is really going on?” Aomine seemed to be a little grumpy with what was going on. Kagami didn’t prepare for this. He didn’t prepare to meet other humans that weren’t Kuroko at all. He should made up a story but then again he couldn’t think of one on the fly. And if he told the truth, he doubted that they would believe him.

“Kagami-kun isn’t human and he lives in the forest. He’s actually a tiger,” Kuroko said with a straight face. Kagami could only look at Kuroko, horrified. Did Kuroko just told his friends that he wasn’t human?

“K-Kuroko! What did you just-”

“Whoa Tetsu are you serious?” Aomine looked surprised, very surprised but he seemed serious about it as much as Kuroko. These people actually believed what Kuroko said?

“Kurokocchi! What did you get yourself into again!?” Kise seemed to be reacting the same way as Aomine. Kagami refused to believe that humans these days still believed in these kinds of things. As far as he knew, most people didn’t believe that his kind existed anymore. Well, most humans any way, but he didn’t think that someone like Kuroko’s friends would.

“Is this why we are going to Midorima? I thought that we are going to get his wounds treated or something,” Kagami couldn’t help but became even more curious about this ‘Midorima’ person who seemed to be the person who knew creatures like him. Yes, Kagami remembered how Kuoko mentioned that one of his friends studied about the spirit world. He was also the person who explained to Kuroko about what he really was. Could this ‘Midorima’ be _that_ person?

“Kuroko…is this Midorima a priest?” he felt hope suddenly. This would explain Aomine and Kise’s reaction to him. They had a friend who was a priest. Meiro could still be saved after all. There was still hope for Kiyoshi. He just needed to know how strong was this ‘Midorima’ person.

“No, his isn’t a priest,” Kagami felt like the hope that was built a moment ago vanished. If Midorima wasn’t a priest, then how was he going to help them? “But he knows more about you than anyone else I know. You can say he has a weird hobby.”

The bus arrived and Kuroko paid for his fee. He felt bad that he had to always rely on Kuroko when it came to human money. Different from them, Kuroko needed these for living and Kuroko was spending it on him.

“So what are you, Kagami-kun? Some kind of half breed demon or something like that? I mean as far as Midorimacchi used to tell us we can’t see you if you are pure breed or something right?” Kagami nodded, he got that thing right, that was for sure.

“I’m a tiger spirit but also a demon and somehow a human as well,” he wasn’t sure if that was the right word. He was the only one of his kind in Japan after all.

“That is…weird but are you really one? I mean I could never see you of course but the thought of seeing something that Midorimacchi could actually see is kinda unbelievable.”

“No Kise-kun. Midorima-kun could only see one remember?” Kagami refused to believe it. Midorima could see spirits? He never met someone who could see them before. Himuro did mentioned a couple of times that there were some people in this world who could see them but only a handful. He couldn’t believe that Kuroko knew someone who could see them. Kuroko still managed to surprise him even after all this time. Maybe he should rethink what he could expect from this boy.

“What do you mean seeing only one, Kuroko?” Kuroko said that Midorima could see only one. He wasn’t sure what Kuroko meant by that.

“You’ll see,” was the only thing that Kuroko said. Continue keeping him the dark. Kuroko made it seem like it was hard to explain. Kagami had no choice but to stay silent and hope that whenever Kuroko was taking him to, there would be a cure for Kiyoshi.

Sitting in a moving vehicle felt very different from riding on Himuro’s back or when he was riding the bicycle. It felt like he couldn’t feel that breeze as they were moving. He was in the human’s world now and he had to rely on Kuroko to be his guide. He wondered if this was how Kuroko felt every time he went into Meiro. So lost and vulnerable.

Kagami couldn’t help but think about the others back in the forest. How were they doing? Were they holding on? Not being there and not being able to know what was going on made him anxious him. It was like there was a hand constantly clutching his throat. He couldn’t breathe when he was thinking about those he left behind in the forest.

He then felt a hand on his lap. Kuroko was sitting beside him. He must have looked really bad with the wounds and all those worries bottled up. Kuroko’s eyes were full of worry. But it was different, Kagami could feel that Kuroko wasn’t only worried for Meiro but also for him as well.

“I promise you Kagami-kun, we will help you as much as we can. You will still have your home,” he wanted to believe that too. But compared to the other spirits out there, he was still young. He never knew how strong Kiyoshi was when he was at his full strength. They all never faced something like this before either.

“Thank you Kuroko, I don’t know who I can turn to now except for you,” Kuroko took Kagami’s clammy hand and held it tight, not disgusted by it at all. Kagami gripped that small hand back. Right now, Kuroko was his rock, the person that helped him keep it all together in the middle of this mess. He owed Kuroko more than he could say and Kagami didn’t know if there was any way that he could return the favour.

“We’re here,” Aomine said as the bus was about to come to a complete stop. Kagami looked out of the window to see an old fashioned house. He remembered seeing those kind of houses back in his younger days (4 decades ago? Kagami wasn’t sure). He didn’t see much of them anymore these days. This old house stood out in the middle of all the modern looking ones.

He immediately felt something powerful reside in that house. No, it wasn’t a human that was for sure because it was a completely different presence from that of a human. Another, higher being that was probably not some normal demon of spirit. Kagami felt like he shouldn’t be careless when entering the house. Perhaps this being could actually help him? Or perhaps the reason that this ‘Midorima’ was powerful because this _thing_ was under his control?

“Kuroko you said that Midorima was a normal human and not a priest right?” he needed to make sure because why would Midorima had such a powerful presence inside his house.

“Yes, but he seems to live with someone else as well. Of a sort,” Kuroko hesitated to add the last part at first. Kagami carefully step into front of the gate. He could feel a rust of wind that definitely wasn’t the work of Himuro. It didn’t have the icy feeling of the ice dragon. He looked up at the wall to discover a figure sitting casually on it. A black-winged _Tengu_ with hawk mask.

“A Tengu!” Kagami exclaimed. He saw some before, they were creatures full of pride. Some liked to trick humans just like _kitsune_ and even lured priests to stray on to a darker path. This one wore a bird mask, he wasn’t even a _higher Tengu_. Kagami couldn’t help but wondered how old was this one.

“Hey hey, never expect to see some other visitors except for Shin-chan’s friend. A half-demon no less,” the Tengu removed his mask. His eyes were sharp just like the eyes on the mask. It was the eyes that seemed to be watching every movement. He reminded Kagami of Izuki who watched over the forest. But something told Kagami that this Tengu looked over something bigger.

“Kagami-kun, you can see him?” Kuroko asked. Kuroko knew about this Tengu? And the other two seemed surprised that he could see the Tengu as well.

“Ah, so Midorima was telling the truth then. Good to know that we aren’t delusional just like him,” Aomine looked at where Kagami was looking although Kagami was sure that he couldn’t see the Tengu over the wall.

“Aominecchi, you mean those time we saw the things levitate didn’t count?!”

“I knew that there was something freaky in his house but I just don’t know it was a Tengu like Midorima said?!”

“Hah! Tell them how good looking I am because Shin-chan always lies to them about what I really look like!” the Tengu started to laugh and then swung his legs around like a little kid. And his laughter…it sounded like a kitsune laughing for some reason.

“Kuroko, you knew that there’s a Tengu living in this house?!”

“Midorima-kun told us there is one. At first we didn’t believe him, but then again, Midorima-kun was never the one to joke about things like that. And strange things do happen around the house whenever we visit. We just never really saw him or knew anyone that could see it just like Midorima-kun did. You are the first to see Takao-kun other than Midorima-kun, Kagami-kun,” Kagami looked at the Tengu who waved back in a childish manner before he flew back through one of the open doors.

There was an entity that actually lived with a human. Not that he never heard about it before but to see it with his own eyes was still unbelievable. In the middle of the human’s habitat, no less. Kuroko pressed the doorbell of the front door. It actually took them a small while before someone opened.

A person with green hair came out to greet them at the door. Actually, he wasn’t sure if greet would be the right world because this ‘Midorima’ looked even less friendly than Aomine and seemed like he didn’t want them there at all.

“Takao is making a fuss in the middle of the night and I have a morning shift tomorrow so you better be quick,” and of course he sounded irritated. Not that Kagami blamed him because they just came into his home in the middle of the night.

“Sorry for the intrusion Midorima-kun but it is urgent. You are the only one who could help us with what is going on,” Kuroko gave Midorima a small bow, ever the courteous one. Midorima looked at all his visitors and stared directly at Kagami, the foreign presence in the group.

“Who is he?” Midorima didn’t waste any time, just like he said. He was examining Kagami from head to toe, took little notice of the burning wound on his hand.

“His name is Kagami and he’s not human. We need your expertise, Midorima-kun.”

“You can see him and you know that he’s not human. So you’re the one Takao meant,” Midorima disappeared further into the house while the others followed him like they were used to visiting the grumpy man. Kagami stayed beside Kuroko as the entered the house. He saw Takao, the Tengu, sitting in one of the seats of the room inside with that grinning smile.

“First of all, what is he and why does he even need my help? I don’t offer help,” Kagami flinched at that that statement. Didn’t Kuroko bring him here so that Midorima could help them? But here he was, being refused right from the get go.

“Kagami-kun is a spirit of a tiger that lives in a forest. One of the trees was infected by something malicious and it starting to spread,” while Midorima showed no sign of interest about what happened, Kuroko didn’t seem like he was bothered by his attitude at all. Nor did Kise or Aomine. Kagami, who was in the middle of all this, just wanted to shout for help, he was so desperate.

“Kuroko, don’t tell me that this thing is the tiger that you once asked me about?”

“Hey! I do have a name!” This Midorima kept ignoring him like he wasn’t there. There was a reason that he actually made everyone see him.

“Don’t take it too hard. Shin-chan always had a foul mouth but he has a good heart. You know what such humans are called? _Tsundere_!” Takao said with the same smiling face. Midorima rolled his eyes as Takao teased him but Kagami was still confused what on earth was a ‘Tsundere.’

“Erm, what did Takao meant by a _Tsundere_?” suddenly Kise and Aomine burst out laughing and Takao joined them even though there were only two people in the whole room who could hear his voice.

“Oh my, Midorima, why you never told us what your invisible friend said. Kuroko, let’s visit Midorima’s house more often because this is hilarious. What kind of spirit knows what a ‘ _tsundere_ ’ is?!” that was what Aomine was saying with all the while laughing in between.

“Shut up Takao!” Midorima didn’t really appreciate all of that commentary but somehow they all couldn’t stop laughing. Only Kuroko was the one who acted like nothing happened. Just how did he handled all this mess? Was this how he lived with other humans?

“Are you going tell me what happened or not?! It’s 11 in the night!” Kuroko took it from there. He told Midorima as much as he could from his perspective. Kagami also helped with telling the story as much as he could. Starting from where he came from, what he was and how did it all happened. He told Midorima about Kiyoshi and Hanamiya. It didn’t help that when Hanamiya visited them in the past, he wasn’t there. He had no idea what happened back then or when Hanamiya managed to put the curse on Kiyoshi.

“I got out in hope that I could find some help,” but didn’t Midorima just said that he wouldn’t help? Kagami felt a bit disappointed when he first heard that Midorima wasn’t the ‘helping’ type. But then why did he listen to him? And not only that, he seems to be trying to figure out how to help as well. There was no end to human’s mystery.

“Then isn’t the answer simple? You need to destroy the tree. It is the source of infection,” Midorima it said so naturally that Kagami thought that he was just looking for a fight. After all those stories about how much the forest, how much this place meant to him and that was all the things that he could say.

“You want me to kill the lord of the forest?!”

“You said that you want to save your home. This is the way to save your home,” the first time that Kagami heard something like this was when Ogiwara suggested him to cut the tree down. He would not give up on Kiyoshi.

“You have no idea how important he is! He’s-”

“Shin-chan, you are being too harsh,” Takao hovered over the table, his wings fluttering a little. Kuroko looked upward as he felt a little breeze in the room. “You know that method would definitely work but there’s another way you forgot to mention.”

Midorima took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes before put them back again. He looked up at Takao and sighed. “I’m not giving that to them. You know why.”

“C’mon Shin-chan. It’s almost midnight. You don’t need it anymore. And it’s not even yours,” the Tengu’s childish voice cut through the thick tension in the room. He seemed unfazed by Midorima’s stern face. The Tengu gave his sly grin again as if he was trying to win over Midorima’s frown with it.

“Midorima-kun, please,” Kuroko joined in with Takao even if he couldn’t hear what the Tengu just said. Kuroko got up and gave Midorima a slight bow, a plea for Midorima to help them. Kagami couldn’t watch this. Here he was, asking for help and Kuroko had to do everything for him instead. Kagami got up of his seat and bowed deeply. He hated this, he needed to discard his pride and beg for help of a person he barely even knew.

“I’m begging you. Please help us.”

He gritted his teeth in defeat as he said it. Aomine and Kise were both silent as both Kagami and Kuroko refused to let their heads up. The atmosphere was tense because of what both Kagami and Kuroko were doing. Midorima closed his eyes and sighed. He got up of his seat and went out of the room and came back with a bottle of water.

“You better not waste this.”

When Kagami took the bottle and read the tag on it, he knew that it wasn’t just normal water. It was holy water, blessed from a shrine.

“From the Ise Grand Shrine, Holy Shrine dedicated to goddess of the Sun herself! Shin-chan needed it for lucky item today,” the Tengu explained. Of course he was reluctant to give it away. This was a sacred gift from the holy shrine of Omikami-Amaterasu! If there was anything that was powerful enough to banish Hanamiya’s curse it is this one.

“Wait a minute Midorima, you actually went there?!” Aomine looked at the bottle over Kagami’s shoulder. He actually tried to grab it but Kagami, afraid that Aomine would tried to snatch it away, quickly moved it away from Aomine.

“Of course not. Takao got it for me.”

“Ah, yes I kinda stole it,” the Tengu stuck his tongue out before gave Midorima a big pat in the back. “Hey, at least now I am doing the shrine a favor, you know, using their resources for good deeds.”

Kagami didn’t know what kind of relationship Takao had with Midorima. This sly Tengu seemed to be the kind that got bored easily, extremely childish for his kind yet, he chose to stay with a human. He would like to get more answer but right now, it wasn’t the time. He still needed to get to Kiyoshi as soon as possible.

“I know that it’s weird but…thank you for this,” Kagami quickly bowed clutching the bottle tightly in his hand. Here was the hope that Meiro needed and it was right here in his hands.

“You see Shin-chan, he said thank you!”

“Shut up Takao, I’m going to sleep,” and with that, Midorima, the actual savior that saved them, disappeared from the room with the laughter of Tengu following him. What an odd pair that he had witnessed. A mystical creature living together with a human that could only be seen by him.

“Oh, by the way Mr. Tiger,” Takao’s voice pipped in again just before Kagami was about to leave. His demeanor changed completely from his cheerful one but that look fit his kind better. “You do know that this method may not work right?”

Kagami fully realized that. While the holy water of the Ise Grand Shrine was powerful, it might not be enough to stop the berserk Kiyoshi. It might not be able to heal him either.

“You’re as powerful as any of us out there. Are you Meiro’s guardian? Then guard the forest, not its lord,” Takao’s words only confirmed what Midorima had said before. They had a chance to save Meiro, but the price may be to sacrifice Kiyoshi. He wasn’t going to do that until it was really his last option.

“I know, but still, I’ll try saving him first.”

“You sure have a lot of sentiment for a spirit,” the playful Tengu was back again. Kagami thought that it was normal for him to be a little sentimental. He was raised in that forest, offered shelter and received kindness from Kiyoshi. He was taught by the members of the forest’s guardian. Of course he was sentimental.

“You don’t have to be human to have those kinds of feelings.”

“…You’re right,” the Tengu smiled and disappeared from the sight. Takao might have felt the same. For a Tengu to remain by the side of a human who didn’t seem to be enjoying the company of others, he too, must have had the same ‘sentiment’.

“Kagami-kun? Were you talking to Takao-kun?” Kagami almost forgot that Kuroko couldn’t see Takao. It must have looked silly for them.

“Yeah, thank you Kuroko. You saved us again. Now I just need to go back-”

“I’m coming with you.”

“What? No! Kuroko it’s too dangerous. Kiyoshi isn’t like what he used to be. He’s gone berserk!” he couldn’t imagine Kuroko being in Meiro with what was going on now. Kagami might have the power to protect Kuroko from other spirits but not Kiyoshi. He wasn’t strong enough to beat Kiyoshi. And if what Ogiwara said was true, Kiyoshi’s infection would spread to the others. They would all turn against him. He couldn’t protect Kuroko from that.

“I can’t protect you from Kiyoshi.”

“I’m not asking you to. I’m helping you,” Kagami forgot the holy water in his hand all of sudden. The reason that he had it in his hand at the first place was because of Kuroko. Kuroko, who didn’t even had to help him from the beginning, who would beg others for help so that they could help him. Kagami wondered if someone like him ever deserved someone like Kuroko at all.

“You didn’t have to. You have no reason to.”

“I do have reasons. I love Meiro. I want to save it. Isn’t that enough?” Kagami didn’t want to say that meeting Kuroko was fateful because he wasn’t really the type to believe in fate. However, he was glad that he met Kuroko, someone who would do reckless things just for his believe in and share that same feeling with him.

“Then let’s go. Let’s save Meiro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮 Ise Jingu) is a sacred shrine dedicated to the holy Goddess of the sun of Shinto Religion, Amateraru Omikami. It is said to be the original place where it held the scared mirror which is one of the three sacred regalias of Japan. Access to the shrine is very limited. The common public allowed to see little more than the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind four tall wooden fences. 
> 
> Tengu (天狗) is a creature with avian and human feature. Said to be the trickster in Buddhism texts. They would mislead monks, trick holy men and possess women in order to seduce men. In some text, they describe Tengu as having two types, the Greater and Small Tengu. Higer Tengu would have a more humanoid feature (some are depicted with human mask) while the lesser would have more avian feature (most are depicted with bird masks).

**Author's Note:**

> 迷路 (Meiro) = Maze  
> Sa Ming Tiger = The Weretiger myth in South East Asia. Tigers were not only fearful animals but some also believed that some ferocious Tiger has black magic. Sa Ming Tiger are tigers that can transform into human whenever they wanted. Some said that witches or black magic practitioner can use their power to transform themselves into a tiger and ultimately became Sa Ming Tiger. Another myth said that tigers that ate too many humans would eventually caused themselves to be about to transform into human as the human souls merged with them. Sa Ming Tiger were fearful but some hill tribes believed them to be the guardians of the forest. Some said that they hunted on those who trespass into the forest, especially the poachers and hunters. Sometimes, they would take a softer approach such as transform into human into leading the humans away by tricking them by telling that their families are in danger.


End file.
